Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie

Ingredients: 

5 frozen strawberries

1/4 c frozen rhubarb

1 tbsp avocado

1 cup frozen kale

1/4 c coconut water

3/4 cup water

Directions: Place all ingredients in blender. Blend and enjoy! Serves 1.

Medical Diagnosis Helps Navigate Food Choices and Healing

Medical Diagnosis Helps Navigate Food Choices and Healing

         The human body is a miraculous machine. It has the innate ability to heal itself when given the right conditions.  It also can give signals through symptoms of feeling ill when it is out of balance and not well. I have learned to listen to my body by paying attention to its aches, pains, digestive distress and bodily symptoms.  It can be a long road to figuring out what is wrong with your body, but it is worth the effort and hard work.  I have been on a healing journey for about four years and have worked with many doctors, nutritionists, physical therapists, holistic doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists.  It was essential for me to get the right blood tests and gastrointestinal tests to learn my diagnosis.  I have also learned that conventional medicine can be beneficial and limiting at the same time.  It was important for me to get the tests, so I had accurate information to help heal my body. However,conventional medicine typically only treats symptoms, so I needed to do my own research and seek help through alternative medicine.  I can not stress enough how important it is to investigate what the root cause of why you are experiencing these symptoms.  I found the alternative medical model to be extremely helpful in treating the root cause of my illness.  

         Through four year of investigation, hard work, mistakes and seeking the truth of what is causing my body to feel ill, I believe with the help of many doctors we have reached the point of successful diagnosis.  Currently I suffer from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, occasional yeast overgrowth, salicylate sensitivity, tyramine sensitivity, gluten sensitivity, gluten cross reactive foods, fodmap foods issues, and numerous food sensitivities.  I am extremely happy to have figured out my diagnosis because now I can use this information to heal myself through healthy food and cooking.  I know the journey is on going because my illness is not going to magically disappear with a magic pill.  I have to learn how to keep my body balanced as best I can to promote continual healing.   Now it is time to figure out what I can eat and cook to continue healing my intestinal tract and feel well.  I keep praying for God to give me strength to stay motivated and continue making healthy food choices to continue to positively impact my healing journey.  I am convinced I will heal myself through food and cooking. 

          We are all blessed to have a miraculous human body to dwell in.  I encourage everyone to listen to their body and focus on healthy eating and living.  If you are currently on your own healing journey and discovery, I encourage you to fight the good fight to get well.  All the effort and hard work is so worth it, and will shower you with many gifts and blessings in the future.  God will give you the strength to keep going to positively effect your life because when you feel well you positively effect others.  It is a beautiful thing.  You may not have a medical condition now but remember eating unhealthy foods over and over again can be a catalyst for developing illness and disease later in life.  A diet high in processed food and sugar is the root cause of many diseases people suffer from today.  Make healthy choices today so you can continue to be healthy tomorrow.  Nourish the temple of the holy spirit within yourself because when you are healthy so many life opportunities open up for you. Your healing journey and journey to a healthier lifestyle can positively change you in ways that you least expect.  Trust in God, and he will guide you through your journey every step of the way.

Recipe: Bacon and Cabbage Soup

Bacon and Cabbage Soup

Step 1: Homemade Vegetable Broth

In a large pot, add:

16 cups of water

1/2 of whole zucchini

4 peeled carrots

bunch of scallions

bunch of leeks

Directions: Bring all ingredients to a boil for 1 hour, strain all vegetables and discard.  You should be left with a delicious vegetable broth.

Step 2: Baking Bacon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Layer a cookie cooling rack over of a cookie sheet.  Place the 1 pound of bacon one piece at a time on top of the cookie cooling rack. Make sure the bacon is not touching each other.  Bake in oven for about 35 minutes.  You do not want the bacon to get crispy.  When it is done, cut bacon into small pieces.

Step 3: Steam Cabbage:

Cut up a whole cabbage. Put cabbage in steamer pot and steam until desired tenderness.  

Step 4: Making Soup

Ingredients:

Homemade vegetable broth

3 cups of cut carrots

1 pound of bacon cut up into small pieces

3 cups of frozen peas

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper to taste

Himalayan pink salt to taste

Parsley to taste

Fresh chives to taste

Directions: Add all the ingredients in the homemade vegetable broth except cabbage and frozen peas. Boil until carrots start to get tender.  When carrots start to get tender, add the frozen peas and cabbage.  When the peas are almost cooked, reduce heat and simmer on stove for about 30 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Vegetable Meatballs Over Ratatouille

Vegetable Meatballs Over Ratatouille

Crockpot Ratatouille

Ingredients:

1 Peeled Eggplant

1 Summer Squash

1 Zucchini

1 Tomato

1/2 cup Cut Scallions

Lemon juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Water

Black pepper, Himalayan Pink Salt, Dried Oregano to Taste

Directions:

Cut all of the vegetables up and place in a crock pot.  Add all other ingredients and mix.  Put crockpot on high and let cook for 6 to 8 hours.  Monitor Ratatouille and it is done when the vegetables get to your desired tenderness.  Enjoy alone or put vegetable meatballs on top and serve.  Yum!

Vegetable Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 Pound grassfed Beef

1 cup Finely Shredded Carrots

1 cup Finely Shredded Zucchini

Black Pepper, Himalayan Pink Salt, Oregano, Parsley to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients with grass fed ground beef.  Line a cookie sheet with tin foil.  Form the mixture into small meatballs and place on tin foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Serve over Ratatouille.  Share a meal with your family and enjoy!

Heal Yourself Through Food One Meal At A Time!!!

Recipe: Roasted Honey Banana

Recipe: Roasted Honey Banana

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 tsp melted coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp honey

Directions:

Cut up a banana and place in a small cast iron baking dish.  Drizzle all of the ingredients over the banana. Place in a 375 degree toaster oven and bake for 35 minutes. Eat and enjoy!

Recipe: Refreshing Green Smoothie

Refreshing Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup Frozen Kale

1 pear cut into chunks

1 tbsp avocado

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ice

2 tsp Manuka honey (optional)

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a high powered blender, like a vitamix.  Blend and enjoy! You can put in 2 tsp of Manuka honey in blender or drizzle on top of smoothie if desired. Yum!

Recipe: Shrimp Vegetable Pasta

Shrimp Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 summer squash

1 large carrot

2 cups frozen baby shrimp

Fresh parsley

Fresh chives

Black pepper

Himalayan Salt

Directions:

Heat olive oil in skillet. Use a spiralizer to make noodles out of summer squash and carrot. Add vegetable noodles to pan. Add all fresh herbs, black pepper and salt to taste. Add frozen shrimp. Sauté all ingredients in pan and stir frequently. When summer squash and carrots are cooked take off the stove and eat immediately. Enjoy!

Customize a Food Plan that Works for You

Customize a Food Plan that Works for You

          On my healing journey I am constantly working with a nutritionist to make small changes to my diet in order to develop the best food plan for my medical needs.  There are many different food plans claiming to be the best and healthiest food plan for people.  We are all unique individuals and need to customize a food plan for our body and medical needs.  I sometimes get stuck in the thinking that if it is not on the recommended food list of the diet that I am following then it will not be a good choice for me.
          I just recently had the MRT blood test and gluten cross reactive foods blood test and gained valuable information to help me make an optimal  food plan for my medical needs.  I tend to use the Paleo and Specific Carbohydrate diet as guides to choose healthy food options for my body and illness. However, corn and lentils have come up as suggestions for foods that my body did not react to on the blood tests.  The nutritionist recommends trying to add it into my diet and see how my body and ailments react to it.  I was reluctant because corn and lentils are definately not approved foods on Paleo or the specific carbohydrate diet.  The goal is to make a liveable diet with as many foods as possible that agree with my body to promote variety in my diet.  I am learning that these diets are just a helpful guide for me to build a foundation for my food plan and then I have to change and customize it for my health needs.  In the coming months I will decide when is the right time to reintroduce these foods into my diet to see if they agree with me.
         Different diets work for different people.  It is easy to get into the habit of saying certain food groups are not healthy for people, but we have to remember each person has their own unique needs.  One food may work great for one person and be like poison to another, so thank God we have so many healthy food options. I have worked hard to learn how to read my body signals if a food is agreeing with me or not.  My only suggestion for everyone would be to make your food plan foundation based on real foods.  Whole real unprocessed foods are the foods that the human body recognizes and uses to get adequate nutrients for health and healing.  Just Jerf which means "Just Eat Real Food" is a great motto to live by.  Remember when you are adding in new foods and making changes to your food plan, make one small change at a time.  This will allow you to monitor your bodies symptoms to see if your body can tolerate the new food.  There is no one perfect diet. Everyone has different needs, so customize your food plan according to your needs.
          The body has the power to heal itself if given the right nutrition, exercise and sleep. Work on living a lifestyle that reduces stress and anxiety.  Eat nutrient dense foods and move your body to create a healing flow within your body. The body is happiest when balanced, so stay open to new things in order to positively affect your healing journey.  I took a yoga class the other day and really enjoyed it. The movement, breathing and relaxation I felt while doing yoga positively affected and stimulated my digestive tract. I am currently working on staying open to food restrictions and additions on my plan in order to create the best food plan for my health, healing and well being.  Eating real food, moving the digestive tract, exercising your muscles and managing stress are key to healthy living and healing. Just be in the moment and focus on the here and now instead of always focusing on the end result.  Marinate in your journey of healing and be proud of all your accomplishments.
          Yes, sometimes the road to healing is long and paved with lots of fustration.  There are days when I get irritated with the gas and bloating especially when I think I am doing everything right.  When I get low, I try to really focus on what I can do instead of what I can't do.  I love tea and tea cups but recently I got diagnosed with a food sensitivity to tea and can not drink it anymore.  So instead of dwelling on the fact that I can't have tea, I started looking for something else I can enjoy in my tea cups. Now every morning and night I drink hot water in all of my tea cups I love, and I feel satisfied.  It really is all in how you look at situations.  God made us free beings, and he respects our right to choose how to live.  I choose to live a healthy positive lifestyle in order to feel well, healthy, happy, joyful and at peace.  When I feel good, I believe I positively impact myself, my family and the world.  I know the food choices I make directly impact my health and well being, so when I decide to eat something I always think about how I will feel after I eat the food. I ask myself, " Will this food positively impact my healing and healthy living or not?".  Don't get upset if a new food you try does not work because there will always be other foods to try.  Just stay focused, hopeful and positive and you will continue on your path to healing and wellness.

It's Time to Reclaim our Food and Health

It's Time to Reclaim Our Food and Health

         Today I picked up a coin that said "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and rekindle in them the fire of your divine love.  Send forth your spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth".  I found this coin very powerful because I believe we can heal our bodies and communities by reclaiming the kinds of foods we grow and eat.    We have the power to stand up and say enough to processed foods that are technically science experiments. The goal of these science experiment foods is to get you addicted so you crave more, buy more and consume more.  America is poisoning its people in order to make more money.  I find this a tragedy and crisis for the people of today and the children of tomorrow.  However, we do not have to be a part of harming society and its people, we can stand up and take action for better food to heal our bodies and bring communities together.  Food has so many healing properties and it also has the power to build relationships and strong communities.  Through my suffering, challenges and illness, I have developed a strong passion for food, nutrition and sustainable healthy living.  Good quality food is such a blessing from God, and I choose to eat foods that he created to nourish the people of the world.  Our bodies recognize these foods and are able to use them to nourish and heal our body, mind and soul.
         The next time you are in the grocery store you have the power to say no to these foods by just not buying them.  Do not put the processed foods that are sugar laden in your grocery cart.  Leave the soda and sugary drinks on the shelf.  Stay away from conventional produce that are drenched in pesticides and fungicides.  Say no to genetically modified organisms, fast convenience foods, factory raised meat and farm raised seafood.  You vote every week at the grocery store for what we want to be available by purchasing the food each week.  If we stop buying it and there is no demand for it, then the producers will stop making it.  I am aware that groceries are expensive and maybe you can't buy everything you want, but every small smart decision and choice adds up to helping our world fuel the real food movement and the health of its people.
         I try to buy as much organic produce as I can.  I follow the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists that show me which fruits and vegetables have more pesticides than others. I drink fresh water. I try to buy grass fed and antibiotic free beef and wild caught seafood.  We are what we eat and so are the animals we eat. Cows are not meant to eat grain, so when they eat grain they get sick and have to take antibiotic. When we eat these animals, we are essentially taking antibiotics.  I try to support my local community and farmer buy buying local produce. Local produce has so much more nutrients because it is not getting trucked across the world losing nutrients before it gets on your plate.  I have my own garden every summer to grow my own food.  If you do not have a large enough yard for a garden, I recommend container gardens.  I read labels of foods and if it has more than 5 ingredients or ingredients that I do not recognize then I leave it on the shelf at the grocery store.
          The most important is to focus on consuming real unprocessed food and promoting cooking in your home.  Reduce the amount of sugar you consume because sugar is the root of many diseases. Cooking and real food will bring your family together and support the health and well being of each family member.  Spread love by cooking healthy meals and sharing meals together.  I am concerned with the health of myself, my family and all of God's people in the world.  We can all take a stand, and start healing our communities one real unprocessed home cooked meal at a time.

Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods

Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods

          During my healing journey, I have discovered my body has developed non-celiac gluten sensitivity.  When I eat gluten, I become very ill with joint pain, headache, stomach ache, constipation, extreme eye and sinus pain and numerous other symptoms.  When I was diagnosed, I began to live a gluten free lifestyle which included gluten free grains.  I started to feel better, but I still was having symptoms.  I decided to go totally grain free and started to feel better but still not 100 percent better. I am still having gut irritation, inflammation, joint pain and other symptoms.  I still feel like something I am eating is causing these symptoms. 

          Some people with gluten sensitivity who do not eat any gluten are still getting symptoms while consuming gluten free foods.  Science is revealing that some foods have similar proteins to gluten, so when you eat those similar protein foods your body thinks your eating gluten.  Cyrex labs has a blood test to test for gluten-associated cross-reactive foods.  This test confirmed for me that indeed when I was eating foods like dairy, rice, oats, quinoa, tapioca, soy, and other foods my body thought I was still eating gluten and that was causing my symptoms.

          On my healing journey, there always seems to be hurdles to jump over.  I thought I was coming to the end of my hurdles when a surprise came when reading these test results.  I had been telling my doctors that there is still a missing puzzle piece because I still do not feel well.  I an still  having joint pain, lethargy and other symptoms after learning about all the food sensitivities I have developed through the MRT blood test and removing those foods from my diet.  I did see a lot of improvement but still not 100 percent feeling of health and wellness.  As I was reading the cross-reactive blood test results, a positive for eggs jumped out on the page.  I eat a lot of eggs daily for breakfast and also in baked goods.  My heart started to beat fast and tears started streaming down my face.  Thoughts started rushing into my head.  Is the eggs why I am still not feeling well?  Are the eggs causing my body to think I am still eating gluten?  How can I give up eggs because they are so much a part of my diet?  Why is God giving me another suffering?  Haven't I suffered enough? 

          I do believe God gives people suffering as a teaching opportunity to move you in a place he needs you to be for your own good, growth and opportunity.  So I will pick up my cross to bare and do what needs to be done.  I will give up eggs to see how my body reacts.  Will the remaining symptoms go away? Will my body be able to handle no more eggs forever, or will I be able to have an egg now and then with no symptoms?  It is all a mystery right now, but the hard work of giving up eggs must be done.  I have to get into the kitchen and reinvent my diet where I have to omit the eggs.

          As you go through your healing journey, you will find times you really have to get in the kitchen and educate yourself on how and what to cook.  This can be very overwhelming, so my suggestion is to focus on one recipe at a time.  I went to the library and took out some recipe books and started to make 1 recipe at a time.  I started collecting recipe books, so now I have many many years of recipes to try at my finger tips.  Everyone has collections, so I collect cook books.  Now I am also trying to create my own recipes to meet my dietary needs and share with all of you on my blog.  

          Learning how to cook and make new foods can be challenging but it is very rewarding.  Think of working in the kitchen as a challenge because what you create can be very rewarding.  We can heal our bodies through what we cook and eat.  This is so powerful!   I love to go to the farmers market and get fresh organic whole food ingredients and come home and create a delicious meal.  Food has such healing powers for the body and it also brings people and communities together.  Just remember when you get overwhelmed to focus on one recipe at a time and focus on each cooking success as a pathway to healing.  Saint John Paul II said, "Have no fear of moving into the unknown.  Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you".

My Story and Mission

My Story and Mission

          Mamas Healthy Healing Kitchen is my blog I created to share my healing journey and spread knowledge to others about healthy living and ways to promote healing in the body. I am a mother of four beautiful children. One of my children has a life threatening allergy to peanuts and allergies to almonds, hazelnuts and soy. I have been on my own healing journey for four years since I had an emergency c-section with my last child.  My son was born healthy and I had a safe delivery, but the c-section left me with intestinal issues to continually deal with.  I came down with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which led to non-celiac gluten sensitivity. I have also developed many food sensitivities and recently discovered gluten associated cross-reactive foods.  Currently my diet is free of gluten, grains, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, seeds, eggs, soy and refined sugar. Through the years I have worked with many doctors and nutritionists to figure out all the puzzle pieces to what is the root cause of my symptoms and illness. I have continued to read and do my own research to help educate myself on how to heal my body.  I am convinced that I will heal myself through food.  I strongly believe in a quote from the Hippocrates. "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".

          Because of these health challenges, the kinds of food my family eats on a daily basis had to drastically change. I had to educate myself about all the allergen free foods available to help feed myself and my family.  I also had to learn how to cook all over again to meet the dietary needs of myself and my children.  Along the way I learned how important clean eating and relying mostly on whole foods impacts the health and wellness of people and accelerates the healing process in a compromised body. I also have redefined what treats can be, make them with healthier ingredients and safely incorporate them into our life, so we will feel satisfied and not deprived.

         My mission is to spread the word about ways to promote healing withing the body through healthy living, simplicity, allergen free food, eating real food and using better ingredients for cooking.  I want to educate people about healthy clean real food eating and cooking and how it impacts their overall health and well being.  I would love to be a health coach to educate people on a healthy way to live their life through food and cooking.  This new nutrition knowledge will promote healing and a healthy well balanced body to live in and enjoy life.  I would focus on using food as medicine to nourish and heal their bodies in order for them to live feeling their best.

         I would like all people and families to have access to allergen free food, healthy organic produce, an occasional treats without chemicals and artificial ingredients and the knowledge to live a healthy well balanced life.  Eating this way can get expensive and it saddens me to think some people do not have the means to eat right to heal and nourish their body. I would like to get people to come together to donate high quality organic produce and allergen free foods.  It would give me great pleasure to collect these resources for families and then deliver it to people who need it in the community.  It would be wonderful to see more people have access to these great healthy foods to positively impact their health and the health of the world.  All donations will go directly to people and families in need.  Please join Mamas Healthy Healing Kitchen in making allergen free food and organic produce accessible to families in need because everyone deserves to eat healthy.

          I am very excited to see so many farmers markets being created to support local farmers.  It is a blessing to have access to local foods.  I would like to start cooking and baking allergen free foods for families that have so many allergies.  It is very hard to buy anything that is made at stores because they usually have ingredients that are not allowed on our specific diets for healing and wellness.   I make all of the food for myself and my family from scratch.  However, it would be nice once in a while to have the option to get one prepared meal for convenience.  I would like to start making allergen free soups because I believe soup is so healing and sell them at farmer's markets.  I am a believer in surrounding yourself with positive people and energy, so I aspire to be at farmer's markets each week with other people who are committed to providing local quality food to their community.

         Through my illness and suffering, I have developed a passion for nutrition and wellness.  I look forward to health coaching others, so they can have the knowledge to live well and feel well again.  I also am excited to do community service by collecting and donating allergen free food and organic produce to families in need.  It gives me great joy to educate and help others live healthy.  I want to help God's people live the best life they can because when people feel good they do good.  Imagine a world where more people felt well, created healthy supportive communities to support each other and chose to live in a way that supported their overall health and wellness.  Healthy food and living brings people together and creates an environment of happiness, peace, joy, love and overall optimum health and well being. 

Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Preheat Oven 375 degrees.

Place whole acorn squash and 1 inch of water in a baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.  When it comes out of the oven, drain the water, let cool and then cut in half.  Scoop out the seeds, discard seeds and then put the 2 halves back in the covered baking dish face up.  Set aside.

Ingredients:

2 cups of peeled, sliced carrots

1 cup sliced leeks

Fresh chives and parsley to taste

1 tsp cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of ground turkey

In a large skillet warm 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add all ingredients except ground turkey.  Saute on medium heat until carrots begin to soften.  When carrots just begin to soften, add turkey and cook until turkey is cooked into small pieces and incorporated with the other ingredients.

Take the baking dish with squash halves and spray olive oil on both halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add the sauteed ingredients in and around the acorn squash halves. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.  Cover and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. The dish is done when squash gets to your desired consistency. 

Enjoy!

Recipe: Scallop and Bacon Kebabs

Scallop and Bacon Kebabs

Ingredients:

Large scallops

Bacon (high quality, preferably no sugar added)

Zucchini

Summer Squash

Cherry tomatoes

On a wood skewer, thread the above ingredients in a pattern that is eye pleasing to you.

Spray pure extra virgin olive oil on the assembled kebabs.  Shake black pepper, Himalayan pink salt, parsley and oregano to taste on the kebabs.  Heat your grill to medium heat.  Place kebabs on grill, turn them a few times.  When cooked, serve on a bed of lettuce. Enjoy! 

Beware of Trigger Foods

Beware of Trigger Foods

          I have learned that there are certain foods that once I start eating I have a hard time stopping.  These foods give me severe cravings that make me eat more.  It is like an out of body experience.  My mind knows that I should stop eating, but the cravings are saying eat more and before I know it I am eating a lot more.  After I have consumed way to much, my body feels very sick and unhealthy.  I ask myself why I ate to large of a portion size if I knew it was going to make me sick.  The answer is I just do not know.  I always have the best of intentions that I am only going to have one serving, but one serving turns into many more servings.  The food takes on an addicting quality and becomes an addicting substance. I just have to have more and no is just not the right answer to satisfy my body's craving.  Trigger foods plus emotional binge eating is a an ongoing challenge for me that I am working hard to conquer.  On my healing journey I am learning how to control my portions and also how to stay away from my trigger foods.

          Do you have a food that once you eat it you just keep consuming more until you feel sick?  Sunflower seed butter known as sunbutter is a trigger food for me.  I so badly want to have the control to eat a small amount and be done, but it is very hard for me.  The infamous spoon comes out and reaches in the jar several times and before I know it a whole jar of sunbutter is gone in a few days.  Not to mention the number on the scale goes up too.  Recently I am also noticing that seeds may be to gut irritating for my body to process at this point in my journey. This trigger food also seems to make my cravings more severe for more treat like foods and more sunbutter.  In the future I hope I will be able to process seeds better and control my consumption of this trigger food without the intense cravings.

           I ask myself why I want to eat this if it is causing me so many problems.  I just love it but I am starting to realize consuming it may not be worth the adverse affect it keeps causing on my healing journey.  Part of my food plan is following the specific carbohydrate diet's illegal legal food list.  I noticed sunbutter is on the illegal list, and am starting to realize why.  My small intestinal bacterial overgrowth seems to be negatively effected when I consume a large amount of sunbutter. The constipation, bloating and gas seem to become more pronounced.  I am committed to my healing journey, so I will have to make a hard choice to leave the cap on the sunbutter for now to promote more healing in my intestines.  The road to wellness is long and hard, but it is worth the sacrifices to feel better.  Do you have issues with trigger foods on your journey to wellness?

Create a Support Network

Create a Support Network

          When you are on a journey to heal yourself, you need support.  I recommend creating a support network of doctors, nutritionists, friends and anyone else who can support you on your journey.  Seek out food bloggers on the internet that have had similar medical conditions and have overcome them.

You may even find some really great recipes to incorporate into your food plan.  The journey to healing and wellness can be a lonely road unless you seek out support and help for yourself.  

           You will feel many emotions on your journey, and you will have to deal with each one as it comes.  On my journey I got caught up with focusing on what I could and could not eat, forgetting about portion sizes, weight management and my tendency to emotionally binge eat. I was focused on the deprivation of my food plan instead of focusing on all the great foods I could eat.   Let me tell you, you can gain weight eating healthy food.  What do people say, to much of a good thing is not always good.  Putting aside the fact that I was trying to heal myself, I forgot weight maintenance was a balancing act between healthy choices and portion control.  Even though paleo treats are a healthier option for dessert, you can put on weight consuming to many.  So the next time you indulge in a second or third treat portion, focus on how it will affect your weight and your healing.  For me portion size is something I struggle with.  I always want more food.  However, on my journey I have learned that portion size is critical to my healing journey.  I have learned my body is able to tolerate small portions sizes of certain foods but the second portion of the same food throws the balance of my intestines off causing more gas and bloating.  When cravings are severe or your faced with hard challenges and obstacles, remember to keep your eye on the goal which is to feel healthy and well again.  It is not easy, but if you focus your mind and seek out support you will be successful.

           Discipline and commitment are needed to succeed on your journey.  It is important  to discover the root cause of your illness instead of treating the symptoms with a bandaid.of medications.

Consistency and balance are key to healing the whole body.  Be honest and true to yourself.  If you need help, ask for it.  A wise person once told me, "No one is going to do it for you.  If you want to heal, you have to do the work. Only you can do the work to heal yourself".  Get motivated, create your healing community and heal yourself.  The road to healing can be long but you have to be patient.  Patience is needed in order to see the results of all your hard work and choices you make each day add up to great healing .With hard work and perseverance, you will achieve wellness and success.  

Recipe: Yummy Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies

 

Yummy Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil melted

1 cup Sunbutter

1/2 cup honey

1 cup sunflower seed flour

2 eggs

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Oven: 325 degrees

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper

Makes 24 cookies

Add ingredients in a bowl in the order that it is listed.  Use an electric mixer and mix after each addition of a new ingredients. Drop by spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake for 13 minutes and then put cookies on a cooling rack.  You can eat these cookies plain or spread sunbutter. jelly or honey for a frosting.  Delicious!  Enjoy!

Recipe: Homemade Biscuits

Homemade Biscuits

Ingredients:

1/3 c coconut flour

1/4 cup coconut oil softened

4 eggs

1 tbsp honey (optional for no sugar version)

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

                                    1/2 tsp nutmeg

                                    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Makes 6 biscuits

Oven: 400 degrees

Cook Time:13 to 14 minutes

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined.

Scoop out with an ice cream scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheet.  Pat down and shape into a flat biscuit.  Bake for 13-14 minutes until lightly brown.

There are many ways to use these biscuits:

Let cool and enjoy with fresh fruit on top.

Spread honey or sunflower seed butter on top as a frosting.

Use 2 biscuits and make a dairy free ice cream sandwich.

Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless!  Enjoy!

Recipe: Coconut Water Fruit Popsicle

Coconut Water Fruit Popsicle

Take Popsicle molds and fill 1/2 way with 100 percent coconut water with no added ingredients.  Zola makes a delicious coconut water that works well for this recipe.  Then cut up strawberries, raspberries or fruit of your choice in small pieces.  Fill the Popsicle with the amount of fruit you would like in your Popsicle.  Then finish filling with more coconut water.  Put the stick in and freeze.  Voila, you have a healthy treat that is oh so yummy!  Great way to satisfy a sugar craving!

Recipe:Pork Loin Crock Pot Style

Pork Loin Crock Pot Style

In a crock pot add:

Boneless pork loin strips

Pureed large fresh tomato

1/2 cup water

1 cup of leeks

Zucchini cut in small pieces

Dried oregano, salt, black pepper to taste

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.  It is done when meat falls apart.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Turkey Vegetable Soup

Turkey Vegetable Soup

Roast a chicken on 350 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours.  The time will depend on how big the chicken is. Make sure the chicken reaches 170 degrees by checking it with a meat thermometer.  Put olive oil and black pepper, salt, oregano and parsley on chicken and place in oven uncovered.  When chicken is done, take all the meat off and use for another meal.

Place chicken bones in a large pot with enough water to cover the bones. Add the ingredients below and boil until carrots are tender.

3 cups carrots

1 cup leeks

2 cups pf grape tomatoes quartered

1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen green peas

Fresh oregano leaves, chives and parsley (about a handful of each)

Black pepper, salt, dried oregano and parsley to taste

Once carrots are tender, take out all the chicken bones and then add a pound of ground turkey already fried in another pan.  

Simmer on the stove for about an hour.

Viola, delicious healthy soup to help heal your body!  Enjoy!

Healthy Living Takes Perseverance!

Healthy Living Takes Perseverance!

          No one said healthy living and the road to healing was easy.  When your on your road to wellness, always keep your eye on the goal.  There will be ups and downs, but no road is paved without challenges to overcome.  I have made mistakes and had to pick myself back up and start over on my restricted diet.  I am learning that it is not about perfection, it is about progress.  Through the years I have learned that I can be an emotional binge eater when I am stressed.  I have also learned that I have control over my behavior.  Healthy living takes commitment and hard work.  I live one day at a time and make one decision at a time to positively impact my healing body.  All of these small healthy decisions have added up to a lot of progress, learning and healing on my journey. 

           I am here to tell you to be careful that old habits do not resurface.  I was on the 21 day whole foods sugar free challenge which I had great success on .  I am very motivated that I am going to heal my body through food and I am going to be successful this time.  The new blood test that I had to detect food sensitives has really been beneficial and greatly impacted my healing journey.  After the challenge, I started adding foods back in like sunflower seed butter and a little honey as the only sugar except sugar from fruit in my diet.  In the past, I had some binge eating issues with these foods.  I love sunbutter and just do not know when to stop eating it because it feels like a treat after always eating whole real foods.  I could feel my old binge eating habits coming back when my spoon started to double dip in the jar.  However, I told myself this time was going to be different.  I made a conscious decision not to undo all the great healing progress I made on the challenge.  I do not want to wreck all the hard work I did in the past for instant gratification of binge eating in the present.  Every choice and decision we make affects our future and the future healing of our bodies.  Life was not meant to be easy and healthy living and healing your body is no different. A wise person once told me, "If it is important to you then you will find a way to do it.  Anything but this is just an excuse."  

          Instead of falling back into my old habits, I have decided to create new healthier habits.  I consciously choose mindful eating.  I try to space my food out so I encourage the cleansing waves in my intestines to do their job. I stay aware of where I could make a slip and make a conscious decision to make a wiser choice to benefit the healing of my being today and tomorrow.  I responsibly allow myself a treat on my plan so I feel satisfied.  This is why I chose to add a little honey into my diet twice a week, so I did not become so deprived that it would lead to binge eating.  I have learned it is always a good idea to have a plan, and when the plan does not work have a back up plan.  Always be ready for anything and be willing to be a flexible flyer and conquer the challenge positively.  I choose to be interactive with my food by growing and preparing my food in delicious meals, snacks and treats. This keeps my journey real, fresh and interesting.   I want to heal my body, so I am committed to do the work.  The road is long and hard but when you start seeing results, it is invigorating and motivating.  Join and be committed to the healthy living movement and see your life transform into a beautiful symphony of wellness right before your eyes. Living healthy is so rewarding, and it will positively impact many other areas in your life.

Gardening Impacts Our Health

Gardening Impacts Our Health

          My road to healing has given me a greater appreciation for nature.  I see the importance of the way people lived on the land hundreds of years ago.  They stayed connected to the circle of life. Everything you need to live and survive comes from nature.  When the earth was created, everything put on the earth had a purpose and was beneficial for the survival of human beings.  Our world does not need genetically modified organisms to feed its people.  Since the agricultural revolution and advances in technology and science, our planet and its people have grown distant to nature and natural whole living. We need to remember that nature was created to nurture our human bodies. Our people can live in nature or they can be one with nature. We rely on the earth for our existence, so I am praying people will return to living practices used by our ancestors years ago to care for our earth. Gardening is one gateway to a happier, healthier connected life. Join me in making the changes in your life to become one with nature.

         Since the agricultural revolution, our people have lived their lives using resources, throwing them away and buying new resources.  We live in a disposable society where its people have no appreciation for natural resources.  We forget that everything in the world is interconnected.  The bee colony decline is especially concerning because in the future we will not have all the fruit and vegetable crops available to us as we do today.   It is difficult to stay healthy because when we are not connected to nature imbalances in our bodies occur.  This disconnect with the earth and our bodies may be the reason for the obesity, depression and disease epidemic our world is currently dealing with today. It is sad to see a culture that is overfed, undernourished and sickly.  I am praying our people can stand tall and get reconnected with the earth to return to a balanced state of being.  I am very encouraged by the efforts of the real food movement and local farmers growing food for their people.  I see positive changes in people, and I can see their passion for saving the planet and its people by getting back to the basics and living as God intended.  Whole living, a slower pace of life and living off the land can promote honor, respect, appreciation, happiness and serenity among its people.  Gardening and cooking real whole food can nourish the body, mind and soul of people while bringing them closer together as a community.

          On my healing journey, I have made small changes in my own life that have come together to create a passion within me for natural living and simplicity.  I have a garden in my back yard, and I produce vegetables for my family to share during our family meals. Fresh home grown vegetables are amazing for cooking, and through this my passion for real whole food clean eating was born.   Gardening gives me hope and inspiration for a healthier world and people.  Gardening has been emotionally, physically, and spiritually healing for me on my journey to get well.  I feel I have a greater spiritual awareness since working in the soil God has created.  As I am healing my body through food, I am working on embracing my natural self God created.  When I was born, God planted many seeds in me to sprout and bloom at different times in my life.  Through my suffering, I can see some of the seeds sprouting and creating opportunities for me to grow into a healthier person.  I strive to live unprocessed in a processed world.  Just like plants need water, soil and sunlight to survive, I need to be connected with the simplicity of nature and the earth to survive and  live my healthiest potential.  I am learning that happiness comes from being connected with nature and I feel connected through gardening.  When I feel happy, I cultivate more joy, peace and serenity in my life and my family's lives.  

          I am so thankful I have suffered on my healing journey because I have discovered the joys of gardening for myself, my family and the world.  My garden has been producing a bountiful harvest this year.  We have cooked and enjoyed rhubarb, fresh herbs, lettuce, kale, brocolli, cucumbers, summer squash and strawberries. We are eagerly awaiting tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, zucchini, peas, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and sunflowers.  I am excited to cook real whole food recipes to share with my family.  Gardening has given me a passion for cooking and providing real healthy food for my family. I love to sit down, share a meal and enjoy the moment with my family around the kitchen table.  The act of sharing a meal is so healthy and healing for people.  I have a deeper respect for the earth, sustainable living and the value of food.  I believe through gardening we can build stronger communities and healthier people.  I recommend having a garden to grow your own food. This family activity will deepen your bond with your family and provide many great experiences and opportunities to live a more connected life with nature.   Many blessings will come from your labor and all you have to do is be open to them.  I feel so blessed that I have developed a new respect for food and everything that grows from having a passion for real food clean eating.  Gardening has unlimited possibilities, and I have chosen to open my heart to nature and all the good that comes from our earth.

          

          

          

Recipe: Paleo Style Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Paleo Style Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

          My garden is producing beautiful plentiful rhubarb plants this year.  I have made gluten free strawberry rhubarb pie and crisp for my family. Everyone has said the desserts have been delicious.  As I am serving it, my mouth is watering from the delicious aroma coming from the desserts.  I did not eat it because I do not want to negatively affect the positive progress I have made on my healing journey.  Instead I was focusing on the happiness I felt in creating and serving my children a dessert that they had requested we share during our family meals together. I do not want anyone to feel uncomfortable when eating around me because I can not eat some of the foods they enjoy. I am respectful of each persons choices to what they decide to put in their body and the dietary needs they may have.  I focus on healthy clean eating and model it through the foods I create in my kitchen. It is amazing how infectious healthy eating can be when people see the delicious creations people are sharing together in your own home.  However, just like everyone else I do look forward to a treat now and then to enjoy and feel satified.  Last night I decided it was time to create a version of strawberry rhubarb crisp that I could eat and enjoyed.  Below you will find the recipe that I created last night, ate and enjoyed.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  

Serves 1

Spray a small cast iron pan with coconut oil spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Time for cooking is about 25 minutes.  Keep checking for desired softness in fruit.

Add to the pan:

1/2 c strawberries

1/2 c rhubarb 

1 tsp of honey drizzled over fruit

Mix topping together in a separate bowl and sprinkle over fruit:

2 tbsp sunflower seed flour

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

2 tsp melted coconut oil 

Bake and enjoy immediately!

Experimenting in the Kitchen

Experimenting in the Kitchen

          Before I became ill, I loved to bake cookies, breads, cakes, muffins and pies from scratch using recipes in recipe books. I would feed my family the desserts while also giving some to other people as gifts.  When I realized I could not eat these desserts anymore, I felt like my passion for baking was taken away from me.  I felt very sad, angry and hopeless.  It took a lot of work within myself to accept my limitations. I have learned on my healing journey that I can choose to focus on all of the negative of what I can not do or I can choose to focus on the positive of what I can do.  Only I have the power to take myself out of negative thinking and choose to be positive by focusing on all the new possibilities. I have finally worked through all of my emotions and have decided to get busy motivating myself to cook and bake foods that are on my food plan.  There are so many possibilities that are waiting for me to discover.  I have started to develop a passion for cooking real whole foods.  I also get excited when trying to invent a new treat that will satisfy my craving for a dessert when others around me are sharing a dessert at the end of a meal.  

           Food and its meaning have become so much more to me than objects I put into my body to stay alive.  Food is the nourishing life force substances I give my body to nourish the temple of the holy spirit within myself while nourishing and energizing my body organs that work to give me life each day. I believe food brings people together and strengthens relationships.  One of the most important things you can do each day is share a meal with your family at the kitchen table.  The food is a catalyst to nurture your human relationships while providing the nutrients to heal the body so it can thrive in life.  A healthy happy body provides your soul with an energetic spirit to motivate you to accept new challenges as pathways to opportunities, happiness, serenity and peace. Love life and live the life God has planned for you.  When you accept your limitations and blessing right in front of you, you are able to turn hardships into positive miraculous meaningful experiences.  

          Through this blog, I would like to start sharing recipes that I have created and enjoyed with my family.  I hope you all will try some of the recipes and let me know how you like them.  I also am eager to try recipes in my new Paleo cookbooks I have acquired during my journey to get well. I'll let you know which cookbooks to look for to find these recipes I am going to try.  I am very excited to embark on this new aspect of my healing journey.  I feel so blessed to have a kitchen that I am able to experiment and create new whole foods dishes and healthier treat alternatives to share with family and friends. I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to teach myself how to cook and bake foods that I can enjoy on my journey to wellness and health.

Why am I sick???

Why am I sick?

          When people become ill, they usually dwell on two questions.  Why am I sick?  How did I get this illness?  They spend a lot of their energy trying to figure out an answer to all the why and how questions they can think of.  I am here to tell you I have been down this road. It is okay to wonder about these questions, but do not allow yourself to dwell on it and be consumed by it.  Sometimes there is no straight forward answer to be found and people have to learn to live with the unknown mystery. On my healing journey of four years, I have done my share of research and wondering what is ailing me and how did I get these intestinal issues.  I have my theories on why and how this happened to me, but I truly believe my suffering is part of God's greater plan for me.  I have surrendered my illness to the Lord, and have asked him to heal me and guide me on my healing journey.

           I believe it isn't as important to know all the whys and hows of why you got the illness, but more important is to accept the suffering and learn what is it and how to treat it.  God has a plan for everyone.  Suffering and challenges are important parts of life because they provide people with new opportunities and lessons. I believe God created suffering on my journey, to teach me and give me greater opportunities.  Suffering allows God to help people move to a new opportunity in their life that they may have not realized if they were not in a suffering state. So far I have learned so much about real food, allergen free food, nutrition and a whole new way to cook to meet dietary needs. I feel blessed to have acquired this knowledge on my healing journey. I am happy I have suffered because it taught me great life lessons.  I believe God has bigger opportunities for my life that have to do with nutrition and cooking.  I just have to be patient on my journey until the holy spirit unveils the grand plan.  

           During my journey, I have tried to focus on the healing aspect rather than dwelling on the reasons for my illness.  Through research, acquiring knowledge and prayer, I recently found some ideas to help heal my body. When I focus on being proactive in healing my body, answers start to come and the picture becomes much clearer. I believe the emergency c-section I had with my 4th child started the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.   Since the doctor I had at the time did not properly diagnose me, my SIBO went undetected and untreated for more than 2 years.  Since my condition was left untreated for so long, my body developed non-celiac gluten sensitivity.  After the gluten sensitivity was diagnosed, my body went on to develop other food sensitivities.  This is my theory I developed on my road to wellness and health about how I became ill.  Whether this is right or not I will never know, so I focus on the fact that my suffering is God's way to shape and mold me into a better person so I may do God's work.  In my life I try to find the positive in everything and express gratitude for all the blessings in my life.  I am learning its all about the little things and human relationships in my life that create the happiness and joy I choose to have each day.

           I am proud of myself that I have done enough research and detective work to develop my own theories as to why I am sick. But more important than the answers to these questions is acquiring the information on how to help heal my body and grow more deeply in my spiritual life.  Life is a puzzle, and we all have to have patience and strength to put all the pieces together. I have learned how important it is to live in the present moment and enjoy each moment as it comes. God does not want you to have worry or anxiety.  Worrying about things you can not change or have control over is a waste of precious time.  Choosing to be happy, thankful and joy filled daily will give you the strength to continue healing yourself through food and positive thoughts even when times get hard and challenging.  Choosing joy , happiness and love are three essentials to help aid you in healing your body.  There is a deep mind, body and soul connection.  Surrender your journey to God and he will provide what you need and make great opportunities come your way.