Body, Soul & Mind

Be Back ... Later

2012-01-09T14:05:00.001-06:00

I have debated for awhile about how to write this and what to say. I knew that I needed to offer some sort of explanation on here about my absence and why my absence will continue. However, trying to figure out exactly how to word that is tricky.
I will be back although I cannot tell you when. Maybe a week ... maybe a few months. We are still on our "diet" / lifestyle change and Craig is rocking along. We are still discovering new things and still making progress in areas. However, I need to set all of that down in this "public venue" for awhile.

This isn't goodbye ... it's see you later.

1 Timothy 6:12

2011-11-22T14:03:00.000-06:00

Every once in awhile, you just need a subtle little reminder to keep doing the right thing. You know? (Or am I alone in this?)

For example, the other day I was stressing about money. (That is a common occurrence right now as our expenses have changed so drastically over the last year.) Even though I do not believe in gambling and haven't ever bought a lottery ticket, I'll admit to you that the thought crossed my mind the other day: Maybe I just need a lottery ticket. I considered it for the ten minutes it took me to reach my next destination and then dismissed it from my mind.

God must have been watching. ;)

Later that afternoon I was listening to the radio and they were interviewing this lady talking about how she just felt like maybe God was leading her to buy a few lottery tickets. The hosts (obviously Christian) began to explain to her all of the reasons why they were certain that God was not leading her to buy a lotto ticket. I found myself agreeing right along with them and wondering what was wrong with Ms. Get Rich Quick when God reminded me of my very struggle that morning. I had just entertained that thought earlier that same day. No, I didn't act on it ... but I did entertain it. I flirted a bit with the danger.

God had to gently remind me to keep on doing the right thing even though I can't see the end of this tunnel right now. I got another gentle reminder this past weekend.

Julie was getting ready for school last Thursday and came to me telling me her tummy was hurting. I never know what to make of Julie's physical ailings though because sometimes they are a cry for attention and other times she actually has something wrong. So, I told her to drink some water and then tell me later how she felt. I totally forgot about it until I was taking photo's at my job later that day and began to notice my stomach was hurting.

We haven't been sick in so long that I wasn't sure if I was actually fighting something or if I had just eaten something that didn't agree with me or if I had nervous stomach.

Fast forward about six hours.

I picked the kids up from school only to discover Craig had been battling a stomach ache (and some bathroom issues) all day at school.

Lovely.

So, I prepared myself. I began making preparations for chicken noodle soup, crackers, ginger ale .... You know - all the basic necessities for a battle with the stomach flu. I gave myself a pep talk as I went to bed Thursday night knowing I'd probably be cleaning up body fluids during the night.

Fast forward twelve hours.

I wake up and realize no one has needed me ... or have they? I race into their rooms to discover they're both still asleep and there is no putrid smell. Hmmmmm...

My own stomach just felt slightly "off" so I went about my morning routine and waited on the kids to get up. Julie felt fine upon waking and Craig told me he had gotten up twice during the night and gone to the bathroom, but that he felt fine.

Julie and I spent the next two days feeling normal most of the time and then getting a slight stomach ache for a few minutes here and there. Other than that - there were no symptoms. No nausea. No fun bathroom excursions. Nothing.

Craig, however, had a little rougher time. Granted, it didn't take him down - but he struggled a little more. His lasted four days and affected his energy level slightly and took him on frequent (somewhat emergency) trips to the bathroom. It wasn't significant enough to call him officially "sick", but it was significant enough that I can still tell you every bathroom from here to Waller as I had to prepare adequately to travel with him on Saturday to the playoffs. He finally kicked it Sunday and was back to his normal self.

What's my take-away? What do I learn from any of that?

Well - we will never know for sure, but I think we had a little stomach virus. Given everything we have changed, me and Julie were able to fight it off with barely any symptoms. However, although Craig may look healthy - we still have a long road ahead of us. His body handled the exact same thing completely different. It didn't fight it off quite as fast nor quite as strong.

That's depressing in some regards because while Julie occasionally gets dairy (which she shouldn't have) or a citrus fruit (another no-no) and Rick and I occasionally eat Chuy's or something, the one person in the house who has not been allowed to "cheat" once on this journey has been Craig. Not once. Not for anything. So, you would think he'd be the healthiest among us.

This little virus showed me that I've got to keep being diligent. I've got to keep fighting the good fight. I've got to keep on doing the right thing. And in the meantime, I've got to stay away from Vegas!

Keepin' It Real, Yo

2011-11-18T08:54:00.000-06:00

My friend Lana posted the other day on her blog, where she chronicles the life of a special needs family, that she wonders sometimes if their daughter Lily would be in the same place (developmentally) if they had not done the enormous amount of therapy they have with her. Would she have reached some of those milestones regardless? She then elaborates the next day explaining that they'll never know for sure and mentioning some of the things they have given up to be able to raise "The Bird" (their precious nickname for Lily). One of the things they're struggling with right now is a desire to take an extended family vacation this next year. Their oldest will graduate from high school and "leave the nest" and they wanted one last hoorah before they send her off. However, therapy is expensive (don't I know it?!) and medical expenses are their biggest expenditure currently.

(sigh)

I found myself tearing up as I read her posts. This is so where I am right now. I don't want you to know it because I want you to make the leap and start feeding yourself and your family food that is good for you instead of preservative-laden junk. And if I tell you how stinkin' hard this is, you'll never do it.

I worked from August of last year (2010) until February of this year (2011) doing something I really liked - serving at a church. However, we did not need any of the money. Granted, it was nice and we went to Disney and we played alot. But, when the church got rid of me in February we weren't a bit concerned about the money part of it. We learned a long time ago to NEVER depend on two incomes. It makes life so much less stressful!

However, what we didn't realize is that when we made the leap at the end of January to full-blown organic, preservative-free lifestyle - that it would increase our living expenses so significantly. It doubled my grocery bills. And our medical bills just continued to gradually climb until they were more than our health insurance payment each month. (Something feels very wrong about that to me!) Therefore, we didn't know it at the time, but I stopped bringing in any money and yet our expenses rose by about 40%.

Well, by May we realized that I couldn't just sit around and wait on the next church to call. I was going to have to start bringing in a little bit to help us stay afloat.

This has been the most gratifying and yet exhausting journey we have ever been on. I mean - nothing compares to getting your kid back. NOTHING. But, that's not the only blessing we've received on this journey. We've lost weight. Our daughter's asthma symptoms up and disappeared. Our family members all began taking steps toward healthier lifestyles. We've helped a number of other families. I could go on ...

And we would do it all again! However, that doesn't make working these little odd jobs that I loathe any easier. And it doesn't make scrimping and saving any easier.

I mean, I want some new boots. And I want to get my kid a DS for Christmas. And I want to get Rick an iPhone for his birthday.

And there's a few other things that maybe I don't necessarily "want" per se ... but that we probably need to do. (You know - since we're adults and we're supposed to be responsible.) The van needs new tires. I only made enough last month to replace one of them after everything else was paid. The fridge is making a really weird noise and I'm fairly certain that we're working on borrowed time with it. The poor baby is 11 years old and has been moved 6 times since we got it. Rick's car cannot pass inspection in this county without a little (ha) $1000 repair.

(huge sigh)

I reached the point about a month ago where I began having to force myself to go to work each day. I did not realize the blessing of loving your job until I was forced to work two different jobs this year that I have hated. I have hated them because they are not my calling ... they're not ministry. It's not that everyday was a good day in ministry. It's just that I never actually got to the point where I loathed my job. I so understand that now. Rick and I have trouble discussing it because while he has had teams he didn't prefer as much as others, he's never loathed the job. It's always been football and it's always been his passion. And I am deeply grateful for that. I pray he NEVER has to experience this side of it.

I also became aware this year that I am being leaned on in a way that I was never meant to be leaned on. God did not make me the bread winner of the family. That is Rick's job. He feels called to it. He accepts it. He prides himself in it. He is our provider. I could not handle that kind of pressure and I was never meant to handle it. Having to actually feel some of that pressure and continue on in this even though I hate it is new to me. It's made me even more thankful for the bread winner God provided for me. It's also reiterated the fact that we made the decision to lower our expenses 6 years ago and NEVER be in this trap again of having to depend on two incomes. It is miserable.

There is no end to the line of people who are quick to judge us in this either. We've heard it all. We've lost friends in this journey and some members of our family think we're insane. They just don't get it at all. I can hear their thoughts right now saying "If it's that tough financially - why don't you just back off on the whole organic thing?"

To be perfectly honest - we could.

As long as we were gluten-free, egg yolk - free, artificial sweetener free, salicylate LOW and sulfite free and kept Craig on his supplements, we could pull this whole thing off. Actually - we could just put Craig on the special diet and the rest of us could go back to the unhealthy stuff because it doesn't make us act a fool. We could just get the supplements from the chiro instead of actually having him adjusted. That would save a copay every week as well.

We named this blog (and our ministry) Body, Soul & Mind because food affects each of these areas. (I've said it once - I'll continue to say it as often as you'll read it .... You're gut and your brain are connected. What you put in your belly affects your actual brain. Your gut is known as your second brain and your brain as your second gut.) However, I wanted a way to incorporate a verse that sums it all up for us into the very core of this blog. I wanted it to be ever present. So, I built it into the web address. If you haven't looked it up, it says this in The Message:

"Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things." Romans 6:13

Do you get it? We prayed and searched for YEARS for these answers. We begged and pleaded. And God revealed His answer through TRUTH. Slowly, slowly, slowly He revealed the truth about food to us and how He gave us food not only to enjoy but to HEAL OUR BODIES. He's already made everything we need to heal. There's a plant or a food out there for everything that ails us.

I will not debate modern medicine with you. I am thankful for it and grateful for it and if I am having a heart attack - please rush me to the hospital. However, if I have a stomach ache - please don't feed me Tums. If I'm having a stroke - please carry me to the nearest E.R. However, if I complain of a headache - please don't offer me ibuprofen. If my appendix bursts, I'd like to think you'd call 911. However, I can get rid of strep throat without the use of antibiotics. So, if I catch it again, keep your distance and blow me kisses through the windows. I'll be good as new in a few days.

I've done the research. God led us to truth over and over and over. And my response to that?

My response should be uninhibited WORSHIP and PRAISE and a thankful heart. And that's precisely what it is. However, it should be obedience also. Obedience is a form of worship and love.

How could I possibly eat the very things that have made us so sick and nearly sealed my sons prison term when I know what is in them and the affect it has on our bodies? How could I possibly eat those things after all God has done for me? To do so feels very much (to me) like a slap to His face.

So, yes. This particular season right now is full of Thanksgiving and Worship and Praise and grateful hearts. But, it is hard. It is dang hard. I'm weary. I'm tired of hating my job/work. I'm tired of dreading the same thing everyday. I'm tired of not being able to play just a little bit. I'm tired of only shopping the sale items at the grocery store. I'm tired of not getting to go on dates with my husband.

But this I know: I know that 13 months ago, my Redeemer redeemed my sons life from the pit and therefore my family's life/future as well. He brought us to truth we had been searching for for many, many years. And if I need to walk through a valley for a little while, I will. Because sometimes His blessings come through raindrops and sometimes healing comes through tears. And sometimes the trials of this life are His mercies in disguise. (Laura Story)

The Vaccination Debate

2011-11-15T07:26:00.009-06:00

I've told you before that we are suspicious of the vaccinations Craig got when he was 18 months old. While we cannot prove that those vaccines caused his severe food allergies, they are one of the possible culprits. (There are others we are suspicious of as well for those of you doing your research: the epidural I got during his labor, the formula he drank almost his entire first year, a couple of illnesses he got before he turned 2, etc...)

I got this chart off of Mercola.com and it is quite interesting! Take some time and ingest some of this info today. I'm not asking you not to vaccinate your child. I'm simply asking you to become educated before you do it! We did - and it changed how we would do vaccinations in the future!

(Sorry this chart bleeds over the margins. One of these days I'll actually know how to work a computer correctly!)

Health Condition	Prevalence in Vaccinated Children	Prevalence in Unvaccinated Children
Allergies	40% report at least one allergy	Less than 10%
Asthma	6%	2.5%
Hayfever	10.7% of German children	2.5%
Neurodermatitis (an autoimmune disorder)	13% of German children	7%
ADHD	8% of German children, and another nearly 6% with borderline cases	1-2%
Middle ear infections	11% of German children	Less than 0.5%
Sinusitis	Over 32% of German children	Less than 1%
Autism	Approximately 1 in 100	Only 4 cases out of 7,800+ surveys (one child tested very high for metals, and another's mother tested very high for mercury)

Health Condition	Prevalence in Vaccinated Children	Prevalence in Unvaccinated Children
Allergies	40% report at least one allergy	Less than 10%
Asthma	6%	2.5%
Hayfever	10.7% of German children	2.5%
Neurodermatitis (an autoimmune disorder)	13% of German children	7%
ADHD	8% of German children, and another nearly 6% with borderline cases	1-2%
Middle ear infections	11% of German children	Less than 0.5%
Sinusitis	Over 32% of German children	Less than 1%
Autism	Approximately 1 in 100	Only 4 cases out of 7,800+ surveys (one child tested very high for metals, and another's mother tested very high for mercury)

Health Condition	Prevalence in Vaccinated Children	Prevalence in Unvaccinated Children
Allergies	40% report at least one allergy	Less than 10%
Asthma	6%	2.5%
Hayfever	10.7% of German children	2.5%
Neurodermatitis (an autoimmune disorder)	13% of German children	7%
ADHD	8% of German children, and another nearly 6% with borderline cases	1-2%
Middle ear infections	11% of German children	Less than 0.5%
Sinusitis	Over 32% of German children	Less than 1%
Autism	Approximately 1 in 100	Only 4 cases out of 7,800+ surveys (one child tested very high for metals, and another's mother tested very high for mercury)

Craig's Meals - MUFFINS (without the muffin top)

2011-11-14T07:49:00.001-06:00

Oh, my! Please excuse my absence last week. My Superwoman skills are not what they used to be. Until this ministry also brings in what we need it to financially, I must work a few other jobs. (Organic food and doctor bills add up, ya know?)

Last week I was working three jobs. They just all happened to hit at once. I'm grateful for the work, but mama can't keep everything going all at one time. So, I had to set down some of the balls I was juggling. I chose the laundry and Craig's Meals Delivered. (Rick was not real thrilled about the laundry ball being dropped!) ;)

However, have no fear! I'm back ... with a vengeance! (Do I ever come back any other way?)

This week, Craig's Meals Delivered is offering MUFFINS without the muffin top! (Urban Dictionary defines muffin top as "when a woman wears a pair of tight jeans that makes her flab spill out over the waistband, just like the top of a muffin sits over the edge of the paper case."

Oh dear. I just crossed a line with some of you, didn't I?

Well, for those of you still hanging around - these muffins are fantastic and they come in a variety of flavors. (I was only going to offer one flavor, but since Rick and I can't agree on the flavor - that's a pretty clear indication I need to offer multiple!) The best part about these muffins is that they are light and airy and they don't leave you with that full, fat, lead feeling in your gut after you eat them. (That's the gluten that does that.)

They come in groups of 12 and they are perfect for a family breakfast or a special treat at your office. (My kids are taking them to school this week as a sweet gift for their teacher.) I also always make a double batch and freeze the extras for those mornings when we have no eggs, no cereal and yet everyone still wants breakfast! (Ever have those mornings?)

They are available in blueberry, apple-cinnamon, pumpkin and orange-cranberry this week. Each dozen muffins are $10. While most Craig's Meals Delivered meals come frozen, you may specify this week if you want your muffins frozen or not. (Nobody wants frozen muffins if they're taking them straight up to work so we're offering a little flexibility this week!)

These are a great way to welcome in this Thanksgiving season! Why not order a few dozen for your friends & loved ones?

How Do You Do ORGANIC Halloween?

2011-11-01T07:08:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I found myself asking how in the world we were going to pull off Halloween. I mean, for us, Halloween is about the candy and the costumes. There's no skulls or skeletons or ghosts or goblins .... just candy and some cute costumes. (Ok, there's a chance I might hide in a dark closet and scare Rick when he least expects it. But, that's the extent of the scariness!)

However, when you've banned food dyes, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives of all forms from your home, how (I mean - seriously, HOW) do you pull off Halloween?

Just. like. this.

These are Vanilla Meringue Cookies. They look like hershey kisses but they're white. They're made with egg whites, sugar and vanilla. (Gluten-free and made from cage free chickens as an added bonus!) They're super yummy and they melt on your tongue!

And then we have Sour Bats ... my personal favorites. (These taste just like Sour Patch Kids, but there's no dye in these.) These are not real great for you, but for once a year Halloween candy (in moderation), they'll be fine. They're made with corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, natural flavors, malic acid, sodium citrate, citric acid, colored vegetable extracts (red cabbage, paprika, turmeric), and saturated sunflower oil.

OH my yum! Here are your "Junior Mints" for you movie junkies out there! These are muy fabulouso. They're made with chocolate, sugar, corn syrup, invert sugar, organic cage-free egg whites, tapioca dextrin, glycerin, peppermint oil, and invertase. Again - not something you want to munch on everyday - but great for Halloween. (Or maybe even that occasional trip to the movies!) (Did I just confess to occasionally sneaking candy into the movies?)

These little babies took the place of the Snickers, the Milky Ways, and Peanut Butter Cups. (Ok, I don't know that anything could ever take the place of Peanut Butter Cups, but hey - you can't win 'em all!) These are Endangered Species Chocolate candy bars. They're made with milk chocolate. (Dark chocolate would be better for you, but sometimes you just have to splurge!)

These are possibly my best find yet! These suckers are to dye for! Yummy Earth has made Organic Lollipops safe for us because they're gluten-free and contain no artificial dyes or flavors. Whoo hoo! They're made from organic evaporated cane juice, organic rice syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, organic black carrots, organic black currant, organic pumpkin, organic apple and organic carrot. Possibly one of the best suckers I've ever put in my mouth!

Anyone need Gummy Bears? How about some Organic Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth? Look at this list and tell me these aren't awesome: gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, dairy-free, GMO-free, no artificial dyes, no corn syrup, tree-nut-free and no MSG. So, what DO they contain? organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, gelatin, organic aronia juice, organic black currant juice natural flavor, citric acid, ascorbic acid, carnauba wax, and organic sunflower oil. That, my friends, is a good gummy!

And I'll confess that I was not prepared for this last one. However, we went to a little church carnival Sunday night and Craig won 3 (count 'em, THREE) sodas at the ring toss. (What the heck? I thought I only needed candy for Halloween!) So, I had to get some safe sodas so he could trade in his three unsafe sodas. These sodas made by Whole Foods only have four ingredients - (which is always a good indication that they're safe): filtered carbonated water, can sugar, natural cherry vanilla creme flavor and citric acid. They're gluten free, non-caffeinated and there is nothing artificial in them. Score!

So there you have it. Halloween as organic as you're gonna get it! Stay tuned as now I must figure out how to do Thanksgiving completely organic!

P.S. So what did we do with all the candy we got Trick-or-Treating? We came back home and handed it out to all the little monsters, ballerina's, and cowboys that rang our doorbell! Happy Halloween!

Crisis Averted

2011-10-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

I don't always get things recorded (or blogged) when I should as life gets in my way sometimes. (The nerve!) However, I want to always make an attempt to get each detail of our story out there as I know that a) I won't remember them for long and b) you may be struggling in the same area.

So, my "update" of sorts for you today is actually about a month old. However, it may be better that I'm telling you now as it squelches all chances of simply coincidence (and lack of evidence).

We started school this year without a bang. I know, that's supposed to be "with a bang". But see, we've banged every other year, so it was nice to have a year with no bang. Actually though - our bang just came late. Dang it.

Remember when I wrote this about how awesome the first week of school had been? It was the first year EVER that I hadn't had to have a teacher-parent conference the first week of school to "develop a plan" for "how we were going to deal" with Craig. It was GLORIOUS! When I arrived to pick him up from school each afternoon that first week, the teacher didn't look at me with that look that says "TAKE HIM NOW PLEASE!!". It was a first for us ... and it was really awesome.

However, the other shoe dropped. (It always does, right?) And the second week of school, Craig started acting a fool. We were having trouble at home, so I knew something was up but I couldn't pin-point it. We were following (rigidly) our diet plan and he was getting all of his supplements, but he was seriously struggling. We had back-talk and emotional drama and just a general bad attitude. (I realize some of that may sound normal, but when I talk about it with Craig I'm talking about an escalated scene.)

Then, things went from bad to worse and we began to see actual aggression. He grabbed hold of some kid's neck on the playground in a friendly (ha) game of football. He turned over some desks in his classroom in a moment of rage. He ran away from his teacher over a sports sticker.

Things hit rock bottom when, after spending 2 days in ISS, the school called and told us they were getting ready to revoke his transfer. (My children go to a school on the other side of town as transfers. We chose it for them because it has excellent test scores and the staff is incredible. Great school.) We panicked knowing that the school our kids are technically "zoned" for is not muy bueno and that we would be in a pickle if he wasn't allowed to attend this stellar school. (A pickle meaning "home school".) ;)

Our chiro had discovered two weeks into Craig's fool behavior episode that he could eat the mayonnaise on his sandwich everyday and he could eat the Pirate's Booty "popcorn" that I was sending him in his lunchbox everyday. However, he could not do both. When you combined the two of these, his body reacted to them. (behavior issues) We thought that this was the answer to what was going on and we were HEARTBROKEN when we removed both the mayo and the Booty and he only improved mildly. :(

So, after the threat from the school, we got uber serious. We made a visit to the chiro with an ultimatum: Fix it or die. Ok - that may be slightly exaggerated. (Or then again, I've been known to make serious threats when it comes to my children's health and safety.) We spent a good long while with Mr. Chiro that day and finally (FINALLY) were able to figure out that none of Craig's meds were working.

Now, let me stop for a moment and just try and explain the amount of panic that engulfed my heart when I heard those words. The chiropractor kind of chuckled (which means he's figured it out) ... but there was no chuckling in my world. Absolute panic. If these meds don't work - WHAT are we going to do?

We learned that day that Craig is highly allergic to "something" right now. However, that's the not-so-beautiful part: we have no idea what. The doc said it could be something in the air, something in his school, or another food that has popped up out of nowhere. He guessed it was something blowing in the air because of how dry this year has been and the horrible cases of allergies that he is seeing in his office. However, my momma instincts tell me different. I know that he is allergic to something in his school. It may be the pesticides or one of the commercial cleaners or something that has accumulated in the air vents over the summer. However, whatever it is - it's in that school.

Here's my reasoning: We had an absolutely GLORIOUS summer with the child. We have never enjoyed him more. He was a complete and total joy to be around. Then, he went back to school and his first week went fine, but then that second week started a downward spiral that just went out of control. I don't think that's merely coincidence. (Plus, I was noticing that on the weekends, he was better.)

So - if you're still with me, then I would imagine you have two questions. I would if I were reading this for the first time:

#1) So what now? What do you do? If the meds aren't working do you just put him (and yourself) out of misery?

#2) Why don't you just take him out of that school/building? If you're so sure that's it, just remove him.

Well - the chiropractor was able to add two new things into Craig's mix that "fixed" the problem. He described it as a smoldering fire. Craig's current meds were able to squelch the flames and the overall heat, but they couldn't completely douse it. So, we were getting flare ups in the form of aggression. Sure enough, within six hours of adding the two new supplements to Craig's mix of pills, he was back to normal. (And he's been "normal" ever since.) (And we're liking him again.) (That's always nice - ya know - to like your own kid.)

Removing Craig from that school building is the obvious choice. However, I just don't feel like I have that option right now. I don't have another school for him to go to and with me having to work right now, I don't have the option of homeschooling him. Believe me, we made phone calls and discussed ideas til we were blue in the face. I just don't see any way around it. So, for now - he stays and we use the extra supplements to control whatever it is he's allergic to in that school. Not ideal - but, it'll have to do for right now.

What does that mean for you?

Well, maybe this was just a great story for you today (your welcome). Or - maybe you take away a few new things:

1) Who would've known that two foods - separately - could be fine, but when COMBINED could cause a reaction? (!!!)

2) Sometimes our current meds/supps need some additional help to fight the good fight.

3) Right about the time you think you have this all figured out ... you realize that life is full of curve balls. (sigh)

However, if you gotta have curve balls - then I like what Casey Affleck had to say about them:

"For people who have... had curve balls thrown at them, it is easier to digest change and digest change in other people. Change only scares the small-minded. The small-minded and me."

Craig's Meals - PIZZA

2011-10-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

I don't know what you're "go-to" meal is when you don't feel like cooking dinner or just need something simple and plan-free. Sandwiches? Cereal?

Mine is pizza. That is precisely why this week's Craig's Meals Delivered meal is PIZZA!

Before "the change" (our eating/lifestyle change ... not menopause) - I would simply run to the deep freeze, pop open the box, stick the frozen pie on a pizza pan and WHALLA! Thirty minutes later you have dinner! (If I was feeling fancy, I'd make a little salad to go with it and call it gourmet.)

However, when we began eating differently, I noticed something really fast: I had NO "go-to" meal. Since my kids eat sandwiches for lunch everyday and eating cereal for dinner seems silly to me - I had to come up with a different plan. So, I learned how to make gluten-free, egg-yolk-free, dye-free, nitrite-free, salicylate-low, artificial-sweetener-free pizza.

Pizza's are $10 this week and here are your choices:

Cheese Pizza - A perfect blend of white cheeses combined with the best pizza sauce you've ever tasted!

Pepperoni Pizza - Pepperonis are loaded with nitrites! But, you won't find any in this Pepperoni Pizza! Safe, nitrite-free pepperoni on a bed of perfectly baked crust and cheese blend - it doesn't get any better than this!

Veggie Pizza - For your inner-vegetarian! (Or for those of you that want to pretend pizza is healthy) This pizza comes with a blend of white cheeses, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and olives.

Chicken Ranch Pizza - If you shy away from the traditional pizza, this one may work for you! Combining the flavors of chicken and ranch and bacon ... Do I really need to say more?

What's the best part about these pizza's? I'm glad you asked! The biggest discovery we made when we switched to this version of pizza is that they don't leave a heavy feeling in your stomach after you finish eating. You know that sluggish, I-just-ate-a-rock, feeling you get after you pig out on pizza? It doesn't exist with these because you're not ingesting nitrites, loads of gluten, preservatives and dyes! Yummy pizza without the guilt and fat-feeling - WIN WIN! :)

So, take a trip to Italy this week (in your mind and tummy anyway) with a Craig's Meals Pizza!

I Think I'm Allergic to My Ovaries

2011-10-27T11:48:00.000-05:00

I hesitated to title this post what I did. You see, we have alot of traffic hitting the blog right now because of our new services: Craig's Meals (menu & grocery list), Craig's Meals Delivered (organic meal prepared FOR you), and Craig's Meals Catered (organic meal catered for you and your guests). I don't want some innocent pastor clicked on romans6-13.blogspot for the first time and being offended by the word ... (Ssshh, I'm going to whisper it) ... ovaries.

However, the truth is sometimes a little confrontational and uncomfortable. And, if someone out there could be helped by me sharing our newest story with you, then a few saints are going to have to put up with ... well ... that word.

Remember when I told you about how my rib was making my eyeball hurt? What about the time I told you that my cough was actually caused by grief? Or the time I explained that gluten was making me grumpy. Well, this is just as weird so bring your open mind ...

Two and a half weeks ago, I was at work (taking pictures) and started sneezing. I get what I refer to as "allergy attacks". I used to get them about once every month and they would absolutely send me to bed (or the couch). I'd lay there all day sneezing my head off and holding a kleenex to my nose. M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E, I tell you. Well, now (after changing our lifestyle) I only get them about once very 3-4 months. However, they are still just as terrible. So, when I started sneezing on this bright and sunny Tuesday morning, I knew exactly what was going on and I was not impressed!

I left work early and headed home to camp out on the couch with my roll of toilet paper (we were out of tissues) and the remote. Dinner got reduced to soup and sandwiches and I went to bed around seven.

The great thing about my allergy attacks is that they're always gone the next day and life can go on. So, imagine my absolute FURY when I was still sneezing my head off and miserable on Wednesday. I'll spare you the agony of me reliving each horrid day and just go ahead and tell you that I went for 10 days straight. (!!!) Right about the time I'd think it was subsiding, I'd start sneezing and here we'd go again.

Ladies, I'm gonna go ahead and let you know - the house went to pot. The laundry piled up 7 baskets full. We were eating pizza and hot dogs. (Gluten-free, egg-free, dye-free, bla, bla .... but still pizza and hot dogs none the less!)

Finally on Day 11 I went to our chiropractor and told him I couldn't live anymore like this. (I have a flare for the dramatic side.) He spent over an hour with me as we tried to determine why my all-natural allergy meds were no longer working and why my 1-day-allergy-attacks had turned into 10-day-allergy attacks. (I'll secretly tell you that I think it helped that I arrived at the end of the day and he knew I wasn't leaving until he figured out the answer. I can be pretty threatening when I'm covered in snot.)

However, I will confess that I was NOT prepared when he announced that he knew what the culprit was.

I started this new photography job in August and while I enjoy having the camera/equipment and the actual picture-taking part of the job, the job is taxing in that I have to leave my house each morning by 6 a.m. and I am traveling about 400 miles each week. I have noticed that I am more tired than I have ever been in my life. I usually finish at a school around three and immediately pick up our children from school or from the sitter's. Then, I rush home to help them complete homework, cook dinner and get everything ready for the next day. With it being football season, I do all of it by myself and Rick usually walks in around 8 p.m. (His job is worst in the morning as he has to get everyone up and dressed and lunches packed, folders signed, vitamins taken, etc...) We have absolutely been burning the candle at both ends.

And last Friday in the chiropractor's office I found out that I'm no spring chicken and that there are consequences for that. (Dang it.)

Apparently, I have depleted my adrenal glands and in order to function, my body has been pulling hard on my pituitary gland and my thyroid (for more energy). However, in the process, this has drained my pituitary which controls my hormones. Therefore, when I take my supplements - regardless of what function they are supposed to serve, they are high-tailing it to my adrenals, my pituitary and my thyroid. They are completely ignoring my allergies because there isn't enough to go around. Therefore, you get 10 days of SOLID sneezing.

Here's the great thing about natural medicine though: Instead of treating the symptoms (my sneezing), it treats the cause: my hormones. So, in a sense, my hormones (or lack of) are causing my allergies to go crazy. Fix the hormones, you fix the allergies.

I'd love to tell you that he gave me some magic uterus pills and that I was fixed within 24 hours. However, it didn't work that way. It's comical now, but at the time - it wasn't super funny. He gave me some all natural hormone-fixers and I was OUT LIKE A LIGHT within an hour. No, not even kidding. Three hours of hard, drool-all-over-the-pillow sleep accompanied by panic when my phone alarm dinged that the children were getting out of school and I was still snoozing away on the couch. I raced to the school and picked up the kids and brought them back home only to konk out again and wake up to them wanting dinner. I absolutely could NOT hold my eyes open. I put them to bed early and fell fast asleep in my bed and slept twelve more hours. WHAT THE HECK?! I wasn't sneezing ... but I could NOT stay awake!

The next day I took a four hour nap and went to bed at 7 p.m.

The next day (Sunday), I took another four hour nap and went to bed early.

Finally, on Monday I emailed the chiro and told him what was going on. He assured me (although I was skeptical) that the meds were doing their job and my body was healing - thus, it required more sleep.

I'll spare you the details, but I went another 2 days just as groggy as if I'd taken NyQuil or Benadryl. And then, FINALLY - finally, on Day 6, my body began to cooperate. (And not a moment too soon I'd like to add!!)

So, I have a couple of questions for you:

1) Are your allergies going berserk right now? (If you live in Austin, they probably are!) It could very well be that there is something else going on and your body's attempts to fix that something else are more important than your allergies .... Thus - you're sneezing. (Thyroids and pituitaries are more important than allergies. Your body prioritizes.) Who would've thought that our bodies were so intimately tied together that ovaries could cause sneezing?

2) What is another ailment that you struggle with? Could your body be more focused on healing another part of you than on that ailment and therefore, you're not getting relief? (For example, my thyroid needed everything my body was getting in terms of nutrition MORE than my allergies.)

3) Third and last question: Who do you know that needs this information today?

Introducing Craig's Meals CATERED

2011-10-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

You know about Craig's Meals and you know about Craig's Meals Delivered. However, today we're introducing [drum roll please] Craig's Meals CATERED! [This is where you applaud and cheer.]

Let's get everybody on the same page just in case you're new to Body, Soul & Mind:

Craig's Meals is a weekly menu, grocery list, and treasure box of recipes for those looking for a way to eat completely organic (free of all preservatives and additives) and also follow the diet we've been on for over a year: gluten-free, egg yolk-free, dye-free, nitrite-free, sulfite-free, salicylate-free (or low), and artificial sweetener free. (If you are simply looking for a way to eat healthier, this menu would work for you as well as you could buy organic without buying gluten-free and egg yolk-free. The same recipes would still work, just with white or wheat bread and entire eggs instead of just the whites.)

Craig's Meals Delivered is your chance at trying out this new way of thinking/eating without committing to the monthly meal plan (Craig's Meals) yet. Every week we offer a main dish at a discounted rate that we prepare for you and deliver to you for your enjoyment. (Dishes like chili, mexican casserole, and barbecued chicken.) Each dish feeds 4-8 and is completely organic as well as free of the seven items above that we avoid. (Most are also dairy free as we have one in the family who is dairy intolerant.) The dish arrives completely frozen and with full instructions for cooking. (It's a great dish to keep in your freezer for that night when you don't feel like cooking.) Or - as some of our friends do - order 2-3 and pull one out each week. That's one less meal you have to plan and prepare each week!

Craig's Meals Catered is specifically for groups. While we are targeting small businesses, church staff, and school staff (because they are at their place of employment each day) - we also cater parties, meetings and family get togethers. The sky is the limit on menu items as we can prepare almost anything you would eat "normally" in a new & healthy way. However, below you will find some examples of possible menu items to get you started. There are three tiers/choices to choose from:

CASUAL - Tier 1 is the least expensive and most casual of our menus. Some of the menu items included in this price range are Taco Salads, Chili, Soup Bar and Gourmet Pizza. We are able to provide an organic meal free of gluten, egg yolks, dyes, nitrites, sulfites, salicylates, and artificial sweeteners for a price less than your average fast food meal. Tier 1 - Casual Catered Meals - are priced at $6 / person.

BUSINESS - Tier 2 is for our friends who want a "sit down" lunch. (Comparable to what you might get at a Chili's or an Olive Garden.) Some of the menu items included in this section are Baked Potato Bar, Grilled Chicken Salad, Barbecued Chicken, and Mexican Casserole. We are able to provide this meal for less than your average sit-down lunch (and you don't have to leave a tip!). Tier 2 - Business Catered Meals - are priced at $8 / person.

FORMAL - Tier 3 is for our formal dinner parties, evening church banquets or business luncheons. Some of the menu items included in this tier are slow cooked Roast (with all the sides), chicken fried steak, Fettuccine Alfredo w/ Chicken, and Barbecued Ribs. These meals vary in price, but are comparable to dinner out at a steakhouse. Tier 3 - Formal Catered Meals - are priced between $12 - $20 / person.

Obviously you don't have to use a Tier 3 meal at an evening setting. You might choose to serve a meal classified as "formal" for lunch. And the opposite is true. Maybe you're throwing a dinner party that is extremely casual and want to serve chili or taco salads. The tiers are simply there for pricing - not to suggest what time of the day to serve those items nor what you should serve.

As with Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered - you can contact us using the contact information on this page. Simply scroll to the bottom.

We are currently booking for November & December. Would you help us spread the word?

Let Me BBQ Yo' Chicken!

2011-10-24T16:22:00.000-05:00

The Craig's Meals Delivered meal for this week is Barbecued Chicken. I cannot get over how good this chicken turns out. If you like your chicken on the bone, you're out of luck because nine times out of ten this barbecue chicken ends up falling right off. Pair this bird with a salad and some mashed potatoes and you've got yourself a meal the Colonel would be jealous of!

The Specifics:

This Craig's Meals Delivered comes with 4 WHOLE chicken legs. (A whole chicken leg is a drumstick-thigh combination.) Technically, I would say this dish feeds 4. However, if you've got "littles" in your family (or big ones that don't eat alot) - then each leg could feed two. (A thigh for one person and a drumstick for the other.) (You'll just have to gage it based on the needs of your family.) (My children eat gigantor portions, so this feeds the four of us nicely.)

I baste these babies with an organic barbecue sauce and slow cook them for a flavor that's incredible. (I don't like bones in my chicken either so I love it when I get it right and the meat falls right off!)

This week, you can get your Craig's Meals Delivered Barbecued Chicken (for four) for just $10! Want to make it a meal? This week I'm offering to mash your potatoes for you and pair it with a salad for only $20 total. (You'll be responsible for your own salad dressing.) Where are you going to feed your family of four in Austin for twenty bucks? Hmmmm?

The chicken is organic, grass fed and cage-free and the barbecue sauce is 'safe' making this a gluten-free, egg-free, dye-free, salicylate-low (if not free), nitrite-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener, dairy-free meal.

Bon Appetit Y'all!

For instructions on how to order, please go here. For those of you who have ordered Craig's Meals grocery lists, Week 3 is ready and should be in your Inbox soon. It's not too late to get started on receiving Craig's Meals grocery lists. Go to the link above and read up on it and then shoot me an email.

Craig's Meals - CHILI

2011-10-17T16:33:00.000-05:00

The first cold front of the season is due in TONIGHT here in Central Texas! That means it's going to be perfect weather for chili. Order yours now!

This chili is made with organic-grass-fed beef, organic onions and garlic and organic tomatoes (as well as a few other ingredients .... completely organic). It feeds 8 so bring your appetite! This week, you can get your Craig's Meals CHILI for $15. (That's less than $2 per person if you're into digits.)

You can have your Craig's Meals CHILI delivered right to your front door, come pick it up at my casa, or plan to meet me somewhere. (Just read the post directly below this one for ordering instructions.)

Happy Fall, Y'all! :)

(Also, I still have three Mexican Casserole's left if you need an extra meal this week!)

Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered

2011-10-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Introducing Craig's Meals and Craig's Meals Delivered!!!

I mentioned on Facebook a few months back that we were looking to expand our services and thus our ministry and we are FINALLY READY! :) You've heard of E-Mealz and The Grocery Game and those are great services. (I've used both!) However, I have not been able to find anything out there offering gluten-free, dye-free, egg-free, dairy-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener-free and nitrite-free menus. Well, after a year of creating my own, I think I'm ready to offer them to you! Thus, we are launching Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered!!

WHAT IS CRAIG'S MEALS?
Craig's Meals is a menu (including recipes) and grocery shopping list that is sent to you once a week. It includes menus (and recipes) for a week (5 days) for a family of four.  You will find breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner recommendations that are gluten-free, dye-free, egg-free, dairy-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener-free and nitrite-free. Craig's Meals tells you where to find the menu items, how much they will run you and what your total grocery bill will be (approximately) for the week. (Obviously prices will vary slightly depending on where you live and what store you choose to shop at.)

WHEN DOES MY CRAIG'S MEALS MENU AND GROCERY LIST ARRIVE?
That's the best part! You choose when to receive your Craig's Meals Menu & Grocery List for the week. It can be sent any day of the week so you don't have to change your shopping schedule a bit! Normally grocery shop on Saturday's? No problem. Arrange to have your Craig's Meals email sent on Friday and you'll be ready to roll Saturday morning.

HOW MUCH DOES CRAIG'S MEALS COST?
We are offering Craig's Meals Menu's and Grocery Lists free for your first two weeks so you can decide if Craig's Meals is right for you! All you have to do is become a follower of this blog! After your introductory first two weeks, you can continue for $5 a week or $20 for the month. (Please Note: Monthly subscriptions will still arrive in weekly emails, not monthly emails.)

HOW DO I SIGN UP?
If you are interested in beginning a two week trial period for Craig's Meals, simply sign up as a follower of the Body, Soul & Mind blog and send your email address to body_soul_mind at yahoo dot com and we'll email your first week of menu's right back! When your two week trial is nearing an end, we'll give you the opportunity to sign up for weekly or monthly Craig's Meals using cash, check or Paypal. You can choose to continue on or simply bow out after the two week grace period - your choice.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
Below is a sample of what you would get in your Craig's Meals weekly email:

     Day 1: Breakfast - EnviroKidz Organic Koala Crisp Cereal, Almond Milk, 1/2 organic banana
                 Lunch - Ham Sandwich, Potato Chips, 1/2 Pear, Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato
                              Soup
                 Snack - Peanut Butter Sandwich (add organic jelly if you are not salicylate sensitive)
                 Dinner - Roast (red potatoes, carrots, onions) and Tossed Salad

     (Day 2 - Day 5 would follow right here as well as recipes for any of the above that were not self-explanatory (like cereal and peanut butter sandwiches).)

Grocery List for Week 1: (For this example - Monday only is included)

EnvironKidz Organic Koala Crisp Cereal - $4/WF or Sprouts (currently on sale for $3 at WF)
Almond Milk (could substitute rice milk or coconut milk) (organic milk could be substituted here if there is not a dairy intolerance/allergy) $2.50ish/WF or Sprouts
1 bunch organic bananas - $2ish/WF (price will vary depending on weight)
Applegate Farms Uncured Ham (or any other nitrite free ham) - $5/WF or Super Target
Organic Valley Raw Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or any other organic white cheddar sliced cheese) - $4/WF
Udi's Gluten Free White Bread - $6/WF (or any other gluten free bread of your choice)
365 Everyday Value Organic Mustard (or any other organic mustard) (mayo could be substitute here if there is not an egg intolerance/allergy) - $2/WF
Kettle Brand Potato Chips - Flavor: Sea Salt (or any other organic potato chip) - $2/bag/WF (Note: The other flavors of Kettle Brand contain ingredients you need to examine carefully if trying to stick to the same program/diet we are using.)
organic pear - $1/WF or Sprouts (Pears are LOW in salicylates)
Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup - $3.75/WF or Sprouts (SALICYLATE WARNING! Tomatoes are HIGH in salicylates! Substitute Pacific Foods Butternut Squash Soup if needed.)
Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Peanut Butter (or any other organic peanut butter) $5.00/WF or Sprouts
Hormone-free, antibiotic-free roast - Price will vary based on size/weight - Roughly bank on $12ish
4 Organic Red Potatoes - $4/WF
1 large Organic Onion - $1/WF
1 bag organic carrots - $2/WF
Organic Girl Mixed Salad - $6/WF or Sprouts
1 organic tomato - $1ish/WF or Sprouts
1 organic purple onion - $1/WF or Sprouts
organic salad dressing of choice (I recommend Drew's Caesar Romano) - Be careful of EGGS in salad dressings!!)

TOTAL: $63.25 (Please Note: This total is extremely high because you are having to buy "in bulk". For example, you only need 2 of the bananas, but the price above was for 5-6 in a bunch. You bought an entire container of peanut butter. The salad will last all week as will the purple onion. The cereal will last all week. Etc, etc. .... .... The recipes you receive for the week would use up most if not all of the remainder of the ingredients so that you did not waste them. Your average grocery bill would be about $200 - $250 weekly depending on how strictly you stuck to the list. You could choose to save money in any area depending on your budget needs and allergy needs.)

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!!

You may have forgotten by now, but at the beginning of the post I mentioned 2 new services we were offering: Craig's Meals and also Craig's Meals Delivered.

Each week we will be picking one menu item and offering it as a made-to-order (PRE-MADE) dinner item (frozen) that you can pick up or have delivered to your home. (Austin area residents only please.) You can choose to order more than one and store the extra in the deep freeze to pull out a few weeks later.

Each made-to-order item is made with organic ingredients, preservative free, and comes in a disposable container that is oven safe and lists specifically what it contains for those of you dealing with more than just an intolerance. It is the perfect gift item for a new mom! It also works well for that emergency go-to back-up meal for that night you don't feel like cooking! (Also a great way to see if your kids like the new diet / lifestyle before jumping in feet first!)

For example, this first week (October 10-14), we are offering one of our all-time favorites:

Mexican Casserole (gluten-free, dye-free, egg-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener-free and nitrite-free) (PLEASE NOTE: THIS CASSEROLE IS NOT DAIRY FREE)

This yummy casserole feeds 4+ and contains organic corn chips, organic sour cream, organic salsa, organic cream of chicken soup, hormone-free / anti-biotic free / grass fed ground beef, organic white cheddar cheese, and green chilies.

Combine it with a salad and DINNER IS SERVED!

Mexican Casserole is available for $15 (or $25 for 2) this week if ordered for pick-up or meet-up. (Meet-up means you will be in the same place I am at some point during the week - in which case I would be happy to bring your casserole to you. Simply ask!) Delivery is available at $.50 / mile. (You can map it using the center of Pflugerville as your starting point and your house (or any other destination) as the ending point to get an estimate of your cost. (Remember to map it back to Pflugerville to cover the round trip expense.))

HOW DO I ORDER?
Simply email us at body_soul_mind at yahoo dot com to place your order. Indicate what day you would like your Craig's Meals Delivered to be ready and how you would like to receive it (pick-up, meet-up, or delivery). We'll send you a confirmation and then see you later in the week with your yummy dinner/s. Your money isn't due until you have dinner in your hands! The cooking instructions will be included so all you have to worry about it when you want to enjoy your casserole!

We are pretty excited about these new options and hope you'll give them a try and give us some feedback! We'd love to hear from you! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the contact information listed at the bottom of this page. Spread the word - Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered!

Julie VS The School Nurse

2011-08-30T07:43:00.000-05:00

My daughter is about as confrontational as a Cocker Spaniel puppy; however, she and the nurse at her school had a little showdown yesterday.

It all started when Julie complained of a sore throat to her teacher. Therefore, the teacher sent her to the school nurse. (This is not unusual as Julie visited the nurse about once a week last year for various boo-boo's. She's a slight hypochondriac. ha)

So, Julie appeared in the nurses office and told her that she had a sore throat. The nurse took her temperature and when it was concluded that she had no fever, she offered her a cough drop. Julie took the cough drop and then gasped handing it back to the nurse immediately and saying loudly, "I can't take that! It has red dye!!"

The nurse seemed slightly surprised, but decided that maybe a peppermint out of her purse would get Julie back to class. Another gasp ... "I can't take that!! That has aspartame in it!"

[sigh]

At this point, two other children had come into the office complaining of sore throats and the nurse was running out of options. So, she disappeared into the teachers lounge and came back with the table salt. She mixed a little in a cup of water and handed it to Julie telling her to gargle.

GASP! "I can't take that!! That's not organic sea salt!"

At this point, the nurse threw her hands in the air and said "I GIVE UP!!!" She then wrote Julie a note to go back to class and sent her on her way. However, Julie can read and she wasn't too impressed with what the nurse wrote on her hall pass:

"Will not take anything to get rid of sore throat."

Thankfully my little one is too little to know she completely exasperated her school nurse.

However, little one - you're not too little to know what is healthy and what is not for your body! Good job, Julie Ann! Proud of you!

Joy Comes in the Morning

2011-08-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

What truth!

We're experiencing the sunrise here now and it is GLORIOUS! Pure joy!

I don't know if I would say that the years leading up to the diagnosis were the "night" or if trying to fight our way through the diagnosis to a new way of life was the "night". It's a toss up. Both have been challenging for different reasons.

I mean, there were some extremely rough times before Craig was diagnosed last September. He locked our babysitter out of our house. He stuck random things in his nose that required trips to the emergency room. He ran away from home. He swam in the school toilet. There were times we'd go to a hotel and we literally couldn't keep him in the room. We'd go out to dinner and he'd make a scene. We'd be at the grocery store and have to haul him out kicking and screaming. It was rough.

However, after diagnosis there were rough times as well. He was getting better, but our lives were flipping and flopping all over the place. I was having to learn to cook things I'd never heard of like quinoa. Rick was having to learn which pills to administer when. We were having to search far and wide for organic food, grass-fed beef, hormone-free chicken, soaps free of dyes, etc... It required me to go back to work since our food bills average $1500 / month.

I used to stay awake at night wondering what we were going to do about Craig. However, after the diagnosis, I would stay awake at night researching .... trying to figure out the things I didn't understand about food and food allergies. I drove Rick insane with my list of questions and my constant analyzing. I would make him sit with me and pour over the food journal searching for the culprit until we were both cross-eyed.

We are BY NO MEANS at the finish line and I BY NO MEANS have it all figured out. However, the enormous ... let me just emphasize that word ... ENORMOUS amount of work we have done this last year is paying off. Want some examples? (I'm glad you asked!)

~ I dropped the kids off for school Tuesday morning and didn't worry about what stunt Craig would pull. First year (out of 7 school / day care / mother's day out dropoffs) that I've ever done that.

~ His teacher hasn't pulled me aside ANY these first few days to request a conference. First year EVER! She didn't even look relieved to see me coming Tuesday afternoon (or any of these other days) as if she needed to offload Craig for awhile to regroup. She just looked at me like she looked at all the other parents. (Whoa!!)

~ One of our dear friends at church wrote this about Craig on Facebook recently: "I was in Craig's SS class Sunday and took note of his interactions with people. Julie's has always been my sweetie, but now Craig makes eye contact and has conversation with me!! I'm sorry you have had to endure everything through the years, but so happy that you pursued a diagnosis and then have been willing to follow up with the entire diet situation."

~ His teacher wrote this in an email to me: "Craig has had a wonderful day! ... Please brag on him for an excellent day. (He is sitting with me as I type this and is quite proud) :)"

There are other examples I could give you that won't mean quite as much - but they mean the world to me.

~ I no longer find myself planning trips to the store (or any other place) around him. (Before, I always needed to make sure he was in a good mood, had something to entertain him, and always needed a reward to offer if he would just behave until I could get the groceries and get out.)

~ He now laughs when we play jokes on him (instead of crying and stomping) ... which in turn means that we have alot more fun with him. (For example, yesterday I honked the horn when he walked in front of the van making him jump. He in turn jumped into the van giggling and attacked me. The day before I locked the doors to the van with me and Julie inside and made him dance outside the van before we'd let him in. He laughed hysterically as he did a Michael Jackson move and then we let him in.)

~ We attended an Express game awhile back and he played basketball with a large group of boys. This would have NEVER happened 14 months ago. He would have been kicked out of the game because he couldn't play well with others.

~ He told me yesterday that he has organized a tag football game at school. It's his team against Langston's (his friend) team each day at recess.

I will be the first to stand up and tell you this has been by far the roughest journey of my life. I have cried more tears, had more sleepless nights, and lost more meals over this than any other single event I've been through. I also know that we are not typical. We are extreme, and yes, I'm aware of it. However, I've never been anything else. I don't know anything BUT all the way.

And I found great encouragement when Craig's former preschool teacher (who has kept up with his progress) wrote to me this week and said this: "God gave YOU this challenge because he knew you would rise to the occasion and become an advocate for your children and children everywhere." Talk about speaking a blessing over my life!

So, while the night has been one heck of a night and it has been long and I'd be a fool to think that there aren't more nights around the bend, joy has come ... and it's morning.

Quiz Time! Orbit Gum vs Bacon & Eggs

2011-08-17T20:15:00.000-05:00

I posed the following question on Facebook this morning with a promise of an answer tonight:

Which would be WORSE for your health (or your child's health): Eating bacon and fried eggs for breakfast everyday OR chewing a piece of Orbit gum everyday?

Well, let's take a look at the facts and then I'll let you decide for yourself.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT ORBIT GUM:

Orbit gum contains ingredients that have been KNOWN to cause cancer. I realize that today we like to throw the statement around that "Everything causes cancer!". However, there isn't truth in that. Organic food actually heals cancer. (Take a look at the documentary I recommended a few days ago.) And processed foods with man-made ingredients (like what's in Orbit gum) actually CAUSE cancer. But it's not just about cancer. Some of the ingredients in Orbit are known to contribute to multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Hypoglycemia.

Here's the ingredient list found directly on the Wrigley (Orbit's maker) website:

INGREDIENTS:SORBITOL, GUM BASE, GLYCEROL, MANNITOL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, LESS THAN 2% OF: XYLITOL, ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME K, SOY LECITHIN, COLORS (BETA-CAROTENE, BLUE 1 LAKE), BHT (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS). PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE

I don't have time tonight to go through each of those ingredients and tell you what they are and why I wouldn't put them in my body. However, I would be as bold as to say that the most dangerous on the list are aspartame and BHT.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in place of sugar. (You might know it by the name of Equal or Nutra-sweet.) Sugar has calories, aspartame does not. However, sugar is derived from a plant where as aspartame is man-made. Aspartame can cause any number of health problems from recurring headaches/migraines to depression. It is the soul reason that you see the warning at the bottom of the label in all caps: PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.

In a nutshell, that warning is for people who cannot consume aspartame - people who have phenylketoneuria (or PKU). These people are missing the enzyme necessary to break down aspartame and get it out of the body. Therefore it accumulates in their body, building up and building up and eventually can cause mental retardation. (Anybody else wondering how many babies out there were born mentally retarded because Mom drank diet sodas? Take a look at this story for an example.)

However, aspartame may not be the most dangerous ingredient in Orbit. That honor might need to be reserved for BHT. It's the preservative used to make sure good ol' Orbit doesn't grow old and moldy. BHT has been proven over and over to cause cancer and yet it is continually used in products. (My latest find was taco shells!!)

On the Wrigley website, they state in their Commitment that they "have always cared deeply about [their] people, [their] business, and the world in which [they] live and work." This simply cannot be true given that their gum contains food colorings, artificial sweeteners, and a known carcinogen.

And what's worse? It hasn't always been that way. Take a look back at the ingredient list for Orbit gum during the second World War: gum base, sugar, corn syrup, softeners and artificial fruit flavors. See any aspartame or preservatives in there?

Let me encourage you if you still ever have the urge to pop a piece of artificially sweetened gum in your mouth or sip on a diet drink to DO YOUR RESEARCH. Know what you're putting in your body before you put it in there. Food can either heal or kill ... your choice.

That being said, it may seem that my answer to the above posed question would be Orbit .... that Orbit would be worst choice out of the two to put in your body each day. And you would be right UNLESS that bacon contains nitrites and the eggs are not organic. Here's why:

We all see "fry" and immediately think "no, no!"; however, consuming something that is fried (like an egg) is not bad for you every once in awhile as long as it meets the above requirements.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BACON:

Most bacon you can purchase at your grocery store is preserved using nitrates to maintain color and freshness. Otherwise we would all have botulism. (Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration.)

I won't deny that bacon is high in sodium and that it has a fairly large amount of saturated fat. However, it is the nitrites that you must watch for. Being cured in salt gives bacon the high sodium count and if they would stop there, that would be the only concern. (And if only consumed on occasion, it would be fine.) But, it's when they lace it full of nitrates trying to preserve the color so it will last longer on the grocery shelf - that's when they cross the line and you're not just playing with a high sodium count anymore.

Nitrites are a known carcinogen - specifically for pancreatic cancer.

However, I just fed my kids bacon and fried eggs this morning using Applegate Farms bacon. Take a look at their ingredient list: Organic pork, water, sea salt, Organic evaporated cane syrup, and celery powder. You won't find any nitrates or other preservatives there. And it was a nice break for the kids from gluten free waffles, cereal or "oat"meal.

But, what about those eggs? Why would it matter if the egg was organic or not?

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT EGGS:

Because non-organic eggs come from "robot" chickens. (These chickens are kept in cages - they never even see the light of day or touch the ground.) They simple lay eggs. They are shot full of antibiotics to keep them from catching disease from the filth they live in and they're also given steroids to boost their egg laying capabilities. I love the way this guy put it: "As you can imagine this kind of environment is highly stressful, and just like chronic stress effects us, it effects animals too, so out come the antibiotics and steroids again."

So, to put it simply - my question was a trick question in a sense. Orbit gum would be the worst by far if your bacon wasn't preserved with nitrates and your eggs came from an organic farm with free-range chickens (meaning they aren't locked in cages - they roam the grass). However, if your bacon is full of cancer causing preservatives and your eggs came from stressed out chickens full of steroids and antibiotics, I don't know which is the lesser of two evils for you!

Introducing "A New Weigh CLUB"

2011-08-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

If you've explored our site at all, you know that the tab entitled "A New Weigh" has been empty since our site launched. However, it is empty no more!

I am proud to introduce Dad's first club - A NEW WEIGH.

Located in the historical district of Gonzales, this building happens to be the oldest building in the city. It is a beauty!

The Club is open everyday Mon - Fri, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. for breakfast and lunch.

They serve nutritious shakes and whatever your taste buds are craving - they've got a shake for it!

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake for the chocolate lovers, key lime pie for the pie lovers, pineapple upside down cake for those needing a tropical twist, and almond joy for the candy bar addicts are just a few of the 40+ shakes they offer. They also throw in a tea and a shot of aloe vera juice each time you come in as an added bonus!

The club has only been open for about a month now and they are already averaging 20-30 guests a day. It's exciting to watch people choose a healthy shake over a fast food meal each day at noon. Currently they're working on a work out room in the back so that they can offer a small gym for those wanting to work out on their lunch hour as well. Stay tuned for pictures when that part of the dream becomes a reality.

So - if you're ever in the Gonzales area, stop by for breakfast or lunch! The shake is on me!

Documentary

2011-08-15T20:26:00.000-05:00

I watched this documentary tonight and would highly recommend it. I'm not going to lie - this sucker is slow. It is not going to be winning any awards for Documentary of the Year. However, there is so much truth - so much truth. It would be ideal to listen to while driving a couple of hours. If you're smart enough to be able to figure out how to do that - that would be my recommendation. Otherwise, you'll have to just watch it. If you can get past the fact that it's slow, it has so much to offer. So, curl up with a giant cup of (organic) coffee and maybe some popcorn or a few bites of chocolate and have a look.

Organic vs Locally Grown

2011-08-13T07:59:00.000-05:00

I'm taking the kids to Daddy's scrimmage and then to the movies this morning so I gotta move (!), but I wanted to share some information with you that I recently learned regarding LOCALLY GROWN vs ORGANIC.

What's the difference?

Why does it matter?

Obviously, you want to be buying organic whenever possible. Non-organic fruits & vegetables are grown using pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The fruit is grown containing the actual pesticide and fertilizer inside of it. It actually affects (and changes) the part you're eating so it isn't as if you can just wash it and pretend everything is okay. (Obviously fruits with thicker skins (avocado, pineapple, mango, etc...) have less pesticide inside them because they have more protection. However, they're still grown using chemical fertilizers. Also, other foods such as asparagus, broccoli and cabbage do not attract as many pests therefore requiring less pesticide so they are slightly safer as well. But, again, they're still grown using chemical fertilizers.) (Go here to read about five common pesticides used on our food and why you would never want to ingest them.)

However, let's say you visit your local grocery and find organic apples on sale. This is not unusual in the Fall and many conventional grocery stores (HEB, Randalls, etc...) will even carry organic apples for a few weeks in September/October. You might think (as I did) that you were making a smart purchase and feeding your family well. I mean, organic is the best choice for your family, right? And who wouldn't want an apple straight from Washington?

Or, maybe you're like my friend at work who was told to buy her fruits and veggies from Mexico because they do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

I do not know what Mexico's laws say about growing food or how many times they use pesticides or fertilizers and frankly - I don't need to.

Here's why: Our country's law demands that each and every vegetable imported from ANYWHERE outside the U.S. be sprayed with a pesticide. This is incredibly WISE and incredibly STUPID all at the same time. The logic behind the law is smart: we obviously do not want to introduce any "pests" from other countries into the U.S. However, the result is that we therefore cannot import any organic foods from other countries and thus would have to grow all of our own organic food.

Our country is big enough, that shouldn't be a problem right? Wrong.

There's another law I wasn't familiar with. Since each state is individually responsible for the fruits and vegetables grown within, any fruit or veggie that comes to our state from another U.S. state must be sprayed with a pesticide before it crosses the state line. (Most of the time, this is done before the fruit is ever transported.) The FARMER grows it organically. However, if the farmer sells to largers corporations or grocers, the vegetable will be sprayed before it gets to your grocery store. It has to be. They are very concerned about introducing a pest from the north into the south or vice versa.

Washing an organically grown apple from Washington will be tremendously helpful, but obviously it won't rid the apple of all the pesticide as it was soaked in through the skin.

THIS IS WHY LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC FOOD IS THE VERY BEST OPTION FOR US.

(I realize capslock means "yelling" when typed and while I'm not yelling I want to make sure you don't miss this.)

LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC FOOD IS THE VERY BEST OPTION.

When it is grown organically, you don't get the chemical fertilizers or pesticides and since it doesn't cross a border or a state line it is not sprayed.

Want to find organic, locally grown produce near you? Go here and click on "Buy Local", google "farmers market" and your zip code, or look into starting your own garden with this "no fail" website that tells you step by step what to do and when to do it. But, in the mean time find you a really good fruit and vegetable wash (like this one) and soak and scrub that produce before you take a bite!

Let It Go

2011-08-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share an interesting story with you today...

On Saturday night I worked my last night shift but ended up staying extremely late. (Later than usual.) Sunday morning I woke up and felt terrible; however, that's usually the case after a night shift and I figured it would pass about noon like it usually does.

It didn't and by Sunday evening I was coughing and felt like someone had a belt tied around my chest ... couldn't breathe. I called our chiropractor Monday morning and asked what I could do. Without being able to see me (I was out of town by this point at my parents), they guessed it was probably allergy.

However, by Wednesday, I'd nearly lost my voice completely and I still couldn't breathe well. So, (now that I was back in town) - we headed to the good ol' chiro's office.

I have never had a chiropractor adjustment that hurt worse. Every single "pop" hurt. (That told me that something was not right.) Sure enough, he was able to test using kinesiology and determine that I had picked up something viral. However, he also was able to pick up on "emotional trauma" as well.

Stay with me here .... this is about as weird as the muscle testing I've spoken about before.

Using kinesiology, he was picking up on grief playing a huge role in what I was exhibiting as a viral illness.

At this point, I realize I've lost those of you that are like my brother and my father. As my husband calls it - it's a little too voodoo! However, for those of you able to stick around a little longer, I'll share with you what he told me.

He explained that he hadn't suffered from bronchitis in over two decades. (This is possible when you eat organic, use herbs and your body is completely aligned.) However, his grandmother died suddenly and unexpectedly and he said that he began suffering from what appeared to be bronchitis within 48 hours.

Emotional trauma. Specifically - grief.

And he went on to tell me that that was precisely what he was picking up on with me.

Well, I'll spare you the tears and drama, but just suffice it to say that he was spot on. He specifically used the word "mourning" as something that seemed very strong. I choked as he said it wondering if maybe I needed to get up and run before he knew any of my other secrets.

I'll admit, I don't understand everything that he did or everything he tested for. I do not know pressure points or much of anything about kinesiology. I'm not saying that a chiropractor can read your mind or determine your future.

However, I do believe that God made our bodies more complex that we can ever understand. And I do believe that our bodies give clues about what is ailing us that the average person cannot see but that a trained professional can feel and sometimes see. There is so much that we don't understand about the human body and so much that we accept as truth simply because a person in a white coat tells us it's true.

Our chiropractor adjusted two of my ribs and I could immediately breathe again. He told me three places on my body that hurt before I told him. (My lower back, my right shoulder blade and the left side of my neck for those of you that want to know.) He picked up on my mourning that I had not shared with a soul - not even my husband.

I may not understand ... but I don't have to. I may not be able to explain it to you ... but I don't have to. Even if I could explain it, each person has to decide for themselves what direction that want to go with their health care. One year ago, I thought those that birthed their babies at home and never participated in immunizations were crazy and needed some education. Now here I sit knowing the facts, having done the research and realizing that "those people" actually knew more than I EVER did about having children. They were the educated ones. Truth is like that sometimes ... You think you know it all and then you realize you know nothing.

Every muscle (and maybe my bones too) in my body hurts today as they (the muscles) have been put back where God intended them to go in the first place. I still have a lingering cough as my body fights off this virus. However, more than anything I'm working on my grief/mourning as I realized yesterday that it is playing a major role (more major than I knew) in my health and well being.

Let me encourage you to do the same. What do you need to work through or let go of to be a healthier you?

Update Time

2011-06-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd update you today on where we are in our personal journey.

BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER UPDATE
I recently posted about how we had begun a new supplement with our son that crosses the blood brain barrier. After the initial "what have we done" detox where he got WORSE before he got better, I am happy to report that we are seeing some great things. His behavior has improved even more. His decision making skills have improved. The brain fog has lifted and he is thinking clearly and rationally. (Well, as clearly and rationally as an eight year old boy can think!)

FOOD ALLERGY UPDATE
We recently had Craig retested just to see if we're getting anywhere with all of our hard work. (We know we're getting somewhere with his behavior, but he continues to ask us how long we'll have to eat like this.) In case you're new to the blog or to our journey, we are currently egg free, artificial sweetener free, gluten free, sulfite free, dye free, and salicylate low. (We used to be salicylate free, but we figured out that Craig can tolerate about four days of salicylates before they build up in his system. Therefore, we currently try and limit salicylates. But, if I recognize that he has had four or five days and is building up and reacting, I pull all salicylates just to give his body time to absorb and process.)

Before I tell you where we stand, it is important for you to know that we won't EVER put another artificial sweetener (aspartame, acesulfame, etc...) into our bodies or Craig's. Dyes are in the same boat. Regardless of how he tests for these, he won't ever be getting them. There are too many dangers with artificial sweeteners and dyes. (Dyes are even banned in almost every country but ours because of their danger.) They are linked to too many diseases, behavior problems and health issues. Go here to read more about artificial sweeteners and here to read up on dyes if you'd like.

However, that being said - here are the updates for each item:

DYES - Craig's initial test showed that he was HIGHLY intolerant of red dye and mildly intolerant of blue and yellow with yellow being slightly more irritating to him than blue. His most recent test showed that he could tolerate blue and yellow currently and that red was still irritating to him, but not near to the extent that it once was.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS - Again, we won't ever be ingesting these again so we don't even have him tested on these anymore. For those of you out there enjoying the occasional diet soda, let me encourage you to read up on what you're ingesting.

GLUTEN - Craig's initial test showed that he was HIGHLY intolerant of gluten. He was not classified as having Celiac disease - just simply not able to tolerate gluten. However, instead of having severe stomach problems, his reaction was manifest in his behavior. (((Sitting here almost seven months later I can tell you that he actually was experiencing some stomach/bowel problems. We just didn't know it. We just assumed those were his normal bathroom habits given that we'd never known anything different.))) His most recent test showed that he is barely intolerant of gluten anymore. He could probably tolerate it in small doses. After all the research we've done into gluten and how it affects behavior and health, we have all become gluten free. (I wrote about it here.) So, we might let him enjoy a cookie or treat with gluten in it occasionally, but for the most part he will (and we will) remain gluten free.

SULFITE - These aren't really good for anyone given that they are a preservative. We try to remain completely preservative free. However, in some cases you just can't avoid them. Craig tends to react to sulfites strongly and while we never officially had him tested for them, when we removed them from his diet we saw an immediate change in behavior. (What's odd is that we saw an immediate change in our daughter's health as well. I'll write about that below.) You can go here to see a list of foods containing high sulfites as well as low sulfites. Our introduction to sulfites was through shrimp which (as you will see in the list) is supposedly very low in sulfites. Regardless, we are sulfite free and do our best to stay that way.

SALICYLATES - Initially, Craig could not tolerate ANY salicylates. (Salicylates are the defense hormone that a plant produces to ward off insects or bacteria. Some fruits/vegetables are higher in salicylates that others. Research Fiengold Diet for more info or go here.) That meant relatively no fruit except bananas and a pear without the skin occasionally. However, slowly we began adding back in an orange or an apple at a time. As his body healed, he could tolerate a few more salicylates. Currently we are up to about four or five days worth of salicylates before we see a buildup reaction. To be honest, I don't really watch his salicylate intake as closely anymore simply because he is doing so much better with this one. Also - this one is an easy fix. Since it builds up in the system, the fix is simply to cut salicylates and give the body a few days to illiminate. Craig is currently the only one in our family that is on a salicylate modified diet. However, Julie will be joining him. (I'll write about that below.)

EGG - This one is the most surprising to me. Every other food allergy that we have tested has improved in some way ... except this one. It's a little puzzling to me. Initially, Craig was HIGHLY intolerant of the entire egg (white and yolk). So, we avoided all eggs and all products containing egg. However, after about two months of detoxing, he was able to tolerate some egg white. Our most recent tests revealed that he is currently very intolerant of the entire egg. (This would explain a few recent episodes of bad behavior as I fed him some very yummy gluten free blueberry muffins recently that contained eggs.) So, why isn't this one improving and all the others are? To be honest, I don't know. One thought goes back to his immunizations and how they contain egg and how we believe that is what started this entire thing. Another thought correlating with that one is that we recently began detoxing his brain and that would be where he is storing many of his egg toxins right now because we've been detoxing all the other areas for nine months. I could speculate for hours; however, it doesn't do any good. The child cannot have eggs right now and that's that.

A NEW JOURNEY
This whole process has been very interesting. For Craig we have seen obvious changes and improvements and our friends and family have seen them as well. They don't have to ask what changes we've seen in him because if they knew him before, it is obvious that we're making improvements. However, many have emailed or asked via Facebook what kind of changes the rest of the family has experienced.

For Rick, he has lost over twenty pounds and his stomach "issues" have gone away. (You can read about that in our Success Stories.) However, the most incredible change is his gluten fog. He will roll his eyes and tell you I'm crazy and that he wasn't living in a gluten fog. However, I will die on this hill. The man is very different since going gluten free. He is engaged and present instead of checking out. He still has energy after coming home from work. He gets up in the mornings and immediately starts his day where as before he would need to sit and "wake up" for awhile before going. I could write page after page about this, but it would only embarrass him or make him angry. Just suffice it to say that I am still standing back in awe at the amount of change in him since going gluten free and eating organic.

For me, I've lost a little over fifteen pounds and I just generally feel better. I have a couple of break throughs that I'm waiting on in certain areas, but I'll wait and share about those when I figure them out a little more.

Our most surprising (and newest) adventure is Julie. Obviously if you know us, you know that Julie's food allergies are definitely not manifested in her behavior. I'm not saying the girl is perfect or never has a temper tantrum, but her behavior does not fluctuate like Craig's does. However, Julie has had her share of health issues. When she was born, she had terrible, TERRIBLE allergies. Her nose ran constantly and she kept having eczema problems on her face and tummy. She spent her first Thanksgiving in the hospital with RSV. It was such a bad case and so scary that they called an ambulance to the doctor's office where I'd brought her. When we moved from Houston, things seemed to improve drastically for her.

Once she was able to talk (and talk she did!), she was able to tell us things that were bothering her and it has always been the same: #1) my tummy hurts and #2) I can't breathe.

I would hear "my tummy hurts" at least once a day. You could bank on it! At first, I thought maybe she was just hungry. However, then I'd hear it twenty minutes after she ate. Or, I'd hear it after she drank a glass of water.

Then, when she was four she began telling me she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her breath sounds weren't diminished and she wasn't struggling, she just felt like something wasn't right.

Then, we began to notice something really odd at about the age of 4 1/2. We began to see that she had a storage tank of energy and when it was gone - it was G-O-N-E. She had no reserve. She could go 90 to nothing and then all of a sudden, it was as if she'd completely run out. She'd get these dark circles under her eyes and she would need to go to bed. We saw the best example ever at Disney this past Christmas. I had over done it and came back to the hotel by myself on the last night leaving Rick and the kids riding some last rides at Hollywood. One hour later, Rick burst through the hotel room carrying a crying Julie with Craig following closely behind. She had broken down about thirty minutes after I left when she had tried to ride Rockin Roller Coaster again and realized she had nothing left. She'd over done it as well. She cried and cried because she wanted to keep riding, but she recognized the feeling (exhaustion, weakness) and knew she was done.

Well, since going gluten free, I no longer hear "my tummy hurts" very often. Occasionally she will complain, but definitely not once a day as it was before. Since we removed sulfites, she no longer complains about her breathing. As it turns out, sulfites are terrible for people with asthma or lung issues. After having RSV, I imagine sulfites irritated her little lungs.

The most amazing find has been her energy breakthrough. I recently began taking her to see our chiropractor as well. This has always been part of my plan, I just didn't feel like I could handle having BOTH of them on restricted diets and supplements at the same time. So, now that I feel like I can handle Craig's, I started Julie's journey.

As it turns out, Julie is slightly intolerant of milk (which happens to be ALL she drank as a one and two year old). Her body was not appreciate of dyes - especially red. She reacted STRONGLY to the gluten. But, the most surprising find was her adrenal glands. As it turns out - they are not functioning properly. This is the direct connection with her energy levels. What is ASTONISHING about that though is this: When I was pregnant with her I began to notice that without warning I would all of a sudden be completely out of energy. The only thing that would fix it would be to go to bed and start new in the morning. I could be going strong and then suddenly be completely done. I had never experienced that before in my life and was astonished at what her pregnancy was doing to my body. Most people can feel their energy start to fade and that is what I had known all my life. However, during pregnancy with her my energy could go from full to completely depleted within ten minutes. After she was born, I noticed the problem didn't go away and I have dealt with it since. Little did I know I had passed it on to her and I had no idea it was connected to our adrenal glands. Even more astonishing is that my mother shared with me that she has the same problem (just never knew it was her adrenal glands) and that my great grandmother had the same thing. (It is highly likely my grandmother had it as well, she just never shared it with us.) Therefore, this has been an issue for five generations and we are just now figuring out what is causing it. We are currently working through some supplements and testing the waters to see what will work best to combat adrenal fatigue.

The last astonishing thing we recently discovered with Julie is that her body is not appreciative (doesn't tolerate well) citrus (and possibly fruit in general). This should come as no surprise to me. I loathe fruit - hate it. I never crave it and would prefer to never eat it. However, when I was pregnant with her, I could NOT get enough. I ate fruit with every meal like it was going out of style. Having hated fruit my entire life, this was peculiar to me and somewhat humorous. We don't know right now why her body doesn't want to metabolize fruit, so we're currently looking into that as well.

In conclusion (finally, right?!) - I don't want you to think we have a bunch of sick kiddo's on our hands. Nor do I want you to think that that is what WE think. Instead, I want it to come as an encouragement to you: that food affects EVERYTHING. It effects our behavior, our breathing, our bowels, our stomachs, and our adrenal glands. Instead of heading to your primary care physician and getting an inhaler or some stomach acid medicine, consider heading over to your local chiropractor and taking a more natural approach to what ails you or your child. I think you'd be surprised at the amount of things you could "fix" simply with food! Happy Thursday!

Brilliant Marketing Campaigns

2011-06-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

It was about ten years ago that I remembering seeing the first one. I remember thinking how odd it was at the time and I still feel the same way about it. Commercials for prescription drugs are all over the t.v. now and they range in nature from blood pressure "fixers" to pills that can help you "in the bedroom".

What they really are is completely ludicrous. Think about it. Now people see a commercial on t.v. for restless legs and think to themselves "I might have Restless Leg Syndrome". No, dear one. What you have is either too much caffeine in your system when you try to rest, a vitamin deficiency, or possibly some stress overload. You do not need a prescription medication for your leg movements. However, they proceed to schedule an appointment with their primary physician and ask them about prescribing something to treat this "syndrome" that they heard about on t.v. Their doctor proceeds to treat the symptoms instead of the real problem and prescribes one of the usuals. The patient goes home happy. The doctor goes home richer. However, the pharmaceutical company goes home the winner.

Everyday they advertise more and more prescription drugs on t.v. and everyday our nation takes a few more morning, noon and night. Did you know that from 1992-2002 the number of prescribed medications rose by 61%? Do you think that had anything to do with the beginning of television advertisements regarding prescriptions that can "fix" whatever ails you?

It is a brilliant marketing campaign. But, it's not the only one. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade should win the award for "Most Brilliant Marketing Campaign EVER"!

Forty years ago, coaches used to make their players go entire practices without water breaks. They believed it made them stronger. Well, a few tragic instances and a little bit of wisdom later and we now hydrate fully at each sporting event.

You probably already know that Gatorade came from the mind of an assistant coach at the University of Florida who was correct in his thought process regarding electrolytes fueling our bodies and how we lose them (electrolytes) during exercise. However, what happened in the fifty years following the Gators first Orange Bowl, no one could have predicted.

Last night at Craig's baseball game (which I am lovingly referring to as our home away from home), every single one of his teammates had a Gatorade bottle in hand.

They were replacing electrolytes. (And given that it was 102 degrees (literally) when his game started, this was a wise decision.)

They were hydrating. (Very wise decision.)

However, let's take a closer look at what they were putting in their systems. Take a Gatorade (Rain Berry flavor) for example. (What is a "rain berry" anyway?) The ingredients listed on the back are water, sucrose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavors, citric acid, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, phosphoric acid, red 40, and blue 1. Now, let's break those down one by one.

WATER - Listed first, this means that it is what Gatorade is mostly made of. (The first ingredient listed always tells you what the majority of the content is.) Nothing wrong with water; let's move on.

SUCROSE SYRUP - Sucrose is simply sugar, so this is a sweetener - a sugar syrup. Sugar (in moderation) is much better than any artificial sweetener out there.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP - This is where things start to get a little scary and it is especially disturbing that this is the third ingredient listed. The biggest problem with HFCS is that it is made from corn and corn is a mess right now. It is nearly impossible to find corn that hasn't been genetically modified in some way. Health guru's all over the world recommend eating a corn-free diet because of the dangers of corn crops. (For optimum health, they say stay away from corn, gluten and soy.) Anything that you consume that has corn in it (corn chips, corn syrup, cornbread, etc...) contain synthetic ingredients because the corn was genetically modified. (Obviously the exception to this would be organic corn, but let me assure you that HFCS is not made from organic corn.) Super dangerous friends. The second biggest problem with HFCS is that despite the UNBELIEVABLE MARKETING CAMPAIGN on the t.v. right now saying that it is just like sugar, it is NOT. I cannot stress this enough. HFCS is not just like sugar. Sugar is sucrose. When you consume it, it travels to your liver where your liver decides whether to metabolize it, store it or get rid of it. However, fructose doesn't get to go to your liver. It is immediately turned into fat. It's like sneaking in without paying admission. If you want an ingredient to watch out for that is bad 100% of the time - HFCS fits the bill.

NATURAL FLAVORS - I won't spend long on this one because it's a joke. Manufacturers are allowed to use the words "natural flavors" on their ingredient lists as a cover all. Natural flavors could cover anything from MSG to food colorings, preservatives to additives. It is a scam - a cover up. Any product that uses the words "natural flavors" cannot be trusted.

CITRIC ACID - This is a natural preservative from citrus fruits. Obviously - consuming the citrus fruits themselves would be more beneficial and healthy, but citric acid hasn't been linked with any health fallout yet.

SALT - The funniest part about salt being in Gatorade is that it's the only thing it really needs other than water. Putting just a pinch of salt into a glass of water (not even enough to taste it) will provide enough sodium chloride to replace lost electrolytes. Add a banana in (for potassium) and you've just replaced all lost electrolytes. Hmmmm... kind of makes you wonder what the other ingredients are doing in there, huh?

SODIUM CITRATE - Not completely bad, this is simply citric acid mixed with baking powder. It hasn't been linked with any fallout yet.

MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE - A food additive I would recommend staying away from, it is technically a salt of sorts - but it is used in fertilizer and fungicides. It is a source of potassium which is probably why it is in the drink in the first place; however, it would be easier (and more beneficial) to just eat a banana. Maybe a banana wouldn't fit in the bottle.

PHOSPHORIC ACID - A mass produced man-made chemical (your first clue that it's not good for you) that is used to get a tangy flavor into the drink. It is primarily used for rust removal if that is any indicator as to why you might not want to ingest it. (That's why a soda on your car battery will remove the "gunk".)

RED 40 & BLUE 1 - I would label these two as the worst pieces to this disastrous puzzle. Food colors are made from coal tar. They are so dangerous that most of the other nations in our world have outlawed them. I know what you're thinking. The last time you went to England or China, you probably enjoyed a soda or maybe your favorite cookie or chips because they looked familiar. However - you didn't enjoy them with the same ingredients they are made with in the U.S. In order for companies like Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, and Keebler to ship to other countries, they have to figure out how to make their products with ingredients that are completely legal in those countries and food dyes are among the many that the America allows in it's products that other countries do not.

So, the next time you think about pushing a sports drink down your child to rehydrate them - think twice! All they really need is a tall glass of water with a pinch of salt and maybe a side of banana.

Insane in the Membrane

2011-06-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry for my absence! Life has been insane in the Ivy Household recently. I.N.S.A.N.E.

The children finished up school with a million parties and awards ceremonies. Craig began playing All-Star baseball which requires either a daily practice or game (which are out of town). I went back to work (answering phones) temporarily which means I am exhausted and grumpy. (ha) All that to say, I just haven't been able to keep up with our two blogs and our family and everything else. I apologize for my absence.

I thought today I would simply catch you up on our latest adventure...

CROSSING THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
Craig began a new supplement that has been proven to cross the blood brain barrier. What's that? Wikipedia gives the official definition as "a separation of circulating blood and the brain extracellular fluid (BECF) in the central nervous system (CNS)." Or - in layman terms - it's the barrier that prevents materials in the blood from entering the brain. However, the biggest issue at hand is that the blood brain barrier (BBB) is semi-permeable. It allows some materials to cross while preventing others.

Why would that matter?

Because there are some materials we don't want in our brains!!

It's silly to speculate exactly what caused our son to be allergic to ... well .... to life. (That's a much shorter way than listing all of the foods he cannot have.) We will probably never know for sure what flipped the switch in our son. However, we do have some possible culprits that we know could be responsible. And those culprits cross the BBB.

I will not enter into a debate with you regarding immunizations. However, given everything we have learned in the research we have done to help our son we know this: There is a very real possibility that our sons eighteen month immunizations were what flipped the switch. I could take the time to post the videos that we have of him before and after. I could tell you the long drawn out story of how much he changed at that point. But, I have never been the type to feel the need to convince others that what I'm doing is right. I'm not a salesman - never have been. All I can tell you is that our research has led us to conclude that this is a very real possibility and that our children (and any future children) will never receive another immunization again if we can help it.

The metals contained in the immunizations (aluminum, cadmium, chromium, etc...) can sometimes cause metal toxicity. (So can the metals they use in the fillings of your teeth, but that is a different post for a different day.) We had Craig tested when we first began this journey and he tested high for cadmium. However, given everything else we were dealing with (the eggs, the artificial sweeteners, the gluten, etc...) we just ignored the cadmium and went after the others. We recently got to the point where we felt we were stable enough to start the next leg of our journey: to try and rid Craig's body of poisonous metals.

It has not been a fun ride.

He began the new supplement and within twenty four hours we had bed-wetting, severe behavior problems, no appetite and extreme lethargy. He was rocking, he couldn't sleep and kept wanting to brush his teeth. It was like I was back in the hotel in San Antonio by myself with him with furniture piled in front of the door trying to keep him safe and in the room. (That will always stand out in my mind as the "worst he ever was". He had just had emergency dental work done, he was on a pink antibiotic (red food dye), and I was feeding him everything he was allergic to. Good times.)

I got that panicked feeling ... you know ... when the phrase - "What have I done?" - enters your mind.

And then - just as quick as it came on, it began to clear up. The fog began to lift and out walked our son - the one we've gotten used to having around. The one that is funny and smart. The one that always goes after the underdog. The born leader with a soft heart. We're still detoxing which means we're getting the occasional flare up. However, the roughest part is over (I think).

(((Note: I want to include this part for those of you that really need this information. However, I'll warn you that it is too much information. So, for the queasy in the bunch - quit reading and skip on down. When I use the word "detox" - it means the same as it does anywhere else. When he detoxes, we see alot of time in the bathroom and we see large amounts in the bathroom. I realize that's gross beyond gross - but it's the PROOF that detox is actually taking place. And it's absolutely necessary to rid the body of toxins. This time, we began to see his behavior improve as well as some of the other symptoms disappear immediately following a happy time in the potty.)))

So, why does the BBB matter so much? What's the point? What's the big deal?

Well, the blood brain barrier has three important jobs:

1. To protect the brain from foreign substances
2. To protect the brain from hormones and neurotransmitters
3. To maintain a constant environment for the brain

However, certain things can open the BBB which can cause it to not do it's job efficiently. For example, high blood pressure opens the BBB allowing foreign substances and hormones to enter the brain. Microwaves and other forms of radiation open the BBB. Infection or brain injury (head trauma) can open the BBB. And then - most important for our discussion today - the BBB is not fully formed at birth. Therefore, when Craig was born and we allowed him to receive immunizations a few days after birth and then continuing at all the normal vaccination times - we essentially played with fire. And, in a rare moment of complete and total honesty I'll tell you that we're probably getting everything we deserve for not educating ourselves and being completely informed regarding our decisions, our health, and our son's future.

Now, lest you think that we have completely settled on immunizations as being the one and only culprit, let me set the record straight by telling you that we are studying various other things that might have played a role.

For example, baby formula. We were amazed to find out just how toxic baby formula really is and yet both of our children were formula fed solely from 6-12 months. (Kick me now, please.)

Bt is another toxin we're researching (as well as others). It is used to make crops toxic to pests so that they won't eat/destroy them. While deemed safe for human consumption originally, they have since found it showing up in human blood which means that it's possible it's crossing the blood brain barrier.

I'm looking into things that I ate, took (antibiotics and other meds) and participated in (multiple sonograms, epidural, etc...) while pregnant that might have led to Craig having a tendency toward food allergies.

Why would I study all of this and research? I mean, the damage is already done for our son, right? We can't go back.

My reasoning is two-fold:

My biggest desire right now is to educate other parents out there about the potential dangers lurking in our food and our drugs. If other parents learn what we have learned, it will change their family trees forever. And if enough parents learn what we have had to learn, it will bring change in our world because the market will be screaming for less toxic, processed foods and more organically grown, safe food.

The second reason is to provide hope. So many parents out there are struggling with their kids behaviors. Their school officials are telling them to go see a psychiatrist. Their friends and family members are recommending medications. They're just drowning in despair and disappointment. They feel like they've tried everything. If we can just get word to them regarding the enormous effect food plays in our lives, they can find the same hope we did. They can get their child back.

Tonight we have yet another baseball game and as tired as I am of baseball, all I have to do to find the energy to go is think about how one year ago our son could not participate in organized sports. One year ago our son couldn't focus long enough, follow instructions well enough, or obey consistently enough to participate in America's favorite past time. If getting him back means we're baseball-ing every night for the rest of my life, I think I can live with that. [insert big grin here]

Gluten With a Side of Grumpy

2011-05-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

Rick is the scientist in the family. I mean, the man has a pre-med degree - we ought to use it somewhere, right? This comes in handy when we need to mix up our own natural carpet shampoo or when the children need help with their homework. (We all know I can sing, dance and cook and that those three are the extent of my talents and abilities.)

However, I recently played "mad scientist" and ran my own little experiment because of a suspicion I had.

You already know that Craig has been gluten free for awhile and while having one person in the family who cannot consume gluten will drastically reduce the amount of gluten the rest of the family takes in, it doesn't completely eliminate it.

You have to be very intentional about going completely gluten free.

Gluten is one of those hidden ingredients that lurks around every corner. It hides behind names you know to look for like wheat, cake flour and bulgar. However, it also sneaks in under the aliases of semolina, couscous, matzo and durum.

About a month ago, I began to notice what I thought was a trend. (However, I have millions (slight exaggeration) of things I think I notice that never actually materialize so I have learned not to mention all of them to Rick lest he think I'm nuttier than I really am.)

I began to notice that on the days after I consumed gluten, I was irritable. If you google symptoms for gluten intolerance, you won't find irritability there. So, this one had me stumped for awhile.

It all started with a sandwich. I fixed a sandwich for lunch with nitrite-free lunch meat, organic cheese and mayo, and a little organic lettuce. The bread was whole wheat so in my mind I was consuming what I thought was a fairly decent lunch. (Too bad I combined it with a few organic (but fried) chips and some organic (yet high-fat) dip! Yum! There's the possibility I had a few organic m&m's too for dessert!)

The next day I woke up ready to chew on my family. Everything they did that morning drove me nuts. Rick and I had a huge fight which led to everyone leaving angry and me going back to bed. I hadn't slept well the night before which didn't help matters any.

With all of the "analyzing" that we had to do with Craig in the beginning to figure out if he was just a) tired or b) actually reacting to a food - I have learned to sit back and wonder. Am I grumpy because I didn't sleep well? Am I irritable because of something I ate? Am I mad because I haven't had coffee yet?

After this happened two or three times I began to notice a trend .... It always followed a day on which I had consumed gluten. It wasn't always a sandwich, but it was always a day after gluten.

What's more is that I noticed that I never slept well after consuming gluten. You won't find that symptom listed in the gluten intolerance list either. Gluten intolerance is associated with stomach upsets - cramping, diarrhea, bloating, constipation .... but they never mention poor sleep and irritability.

I decided yesterday that I would run my little experiment one more time before telling you about it. I've made sure to be at different points in my cycle so that hormones cannot be blamed. I have made sure that I've remained gluten free for at least seven days before attempting to play scientist (since gluten intolerances can sometimes show up three days after ingestion). And I have made certain that I have taken all of my regular vitamins and supplements and that I have been fully hydrated (at least 80 oz of water the day before) so that everything is as "normal" as possible.

Granted, my findings nor my un-scientific experiment will never be published in a journal. However, my point is that so many times we wake up "on the wrong side of the bed" after having not slept well and do we EVER look at what we ate the day before as the "culprit"? Or - let me flip the tables a bit. How many people do you work with that seem "hormonal" or bipolar to an extent when in reality, they may simply be dealing with a gluten intolerance that (like me) has very little effect on their gut, but every bit of an effect on their emotional well being? How many suffering from depression are actually just fighting a food allergy/intolerance? No, I'm not discounting depression as something very real. However, no - I'm not discounting certain (processed, artificial) foods as being every bit responsible for our cancers, our diabetes, and our depressions.

I'm going to make a very bold statement that will absolutely infuriate some, but I believe it with all my heart:

Every single symptom/ailment/sickness you have can be in some way or another traced back to your food.

Our food has the power to heal or to kill. What we put in our bodies either strengthens us for the fight or it weakens us (or actually takes us down making us ill and/or diseased).

What will you put in your temple today?

Rejoicing!

2011-05-17T17:38:00.001-05:00

Today is possibly the funnest post (not to be confused with funniest) I’ve gotten the opportunity to write. Today we are rejoicing with “Family R.”

They are a precious family that Rick and I have known for about two years.

They recently began noticing that their son’s behavior and anger problems had escalated from “sometimes inconvenient” to “completely out of control.” As a first grader, their son - “K’s” - behavior had led to repeated trips to the office as well as numerous other punishments.

Friends and family members encouraged them to take K-Dawg to see a counselor or a therapist. Others recommended they get him on medication. However, K’s mom had been reading our blog (as well as another one by a mom with the same story) and decided to give food a chance to heal before filling her son with meds.

We had lunch last Friday and swapped stories. I recommended she make a visit to our chiropractor since she and her family are local. She took me up on that offer and I am ABSOLUTELY BUBBLING OVER WITH JOY to report that K-Man is allergic to eggs, gluten and red & blue dyes.

That may sound a littler weird to be joyous over such a diagnosis, but I’m standing on the other side of that tornado and know what is just around the bend. Here stand two parents grieving over their child and wanting desperately to be able to help him. And just yesterday they learned exactly how and that it will not a) fill him with synthetic materials with numerous side effects, b) cost a fortune, or c) require a medical degree to navigate.

By refusing to believe that Special K is too much to handle or broken in some way and by taking his health into their own hands – being his advocate – they are setting him up for success and I could not be more happy to participate as a cheerleader on the sidelines. We asked them to take his picture and be ready to share it in six weeks when this story makes it onto our Success Stories page. Stay tuned – you won’t want to miss it!

(((Side Note: While many of you contact me with your stories, your questions, and your successes, please know that no story or information is ever published without your direct permission. "Family R" has read through and approved everything written above and added: "BTW, he loves the idea of being "special". He wants to be the ONLY one in our family who is on a special diet...we're secretly doing more than he knows, but he's totally buying in to this. Plus, I secretly and successfully smashed the pills up into his PBJ for lunch as well as hid them in a fruit/ice cream smoothie. I was pumped! I'll keep you briefed on all the little successes we see along the way. Thanks from the very bottom of my heart, [name]")))

The Day My Rib Knocked Out My Eyeball

2011-05-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

It started as just a dull kind of ache. You know, that definitely-there-but-not-quite-bad-enough-to-take-anything type of pain? In fact, I really didn't think much of it. However, slowly but surely my left eye was beginning to hurt worse and worse.

Eventually it was a throbbing pain and I began searching through the medicine cabinets looking for any medicine that didn't get thrown out in the "big purge of unhealthy products". I came across a popular decongestant and was just fixing to pop two when a thought crossed my mind.

"You might be throwing it all away."

I know - it's not particularly profound, but it's the thought that appeared through the blinding fog of the eye pain.

For months now we have been completely organic not taking in any food that wasn't completely free of preservatives and/or pesticides. We have not taken one medication. We have not applied one product be it lotion, shampoo or soap to our bodies that was not completely natural.

And for what? So I could throw all that hard work away for two little pills?

So, I stuck them in my purse (just in case) and headed to the man with the answers .... otherwise known as our chiropractor.

Now, if you're a cynic this is where the road stops for you. Go ahead and click the "x" and head out because what I'm about to tell you is too freaky even for the tree huggers. I mean, I've shared with you about "muscle testing" before and that one is weird enough. However, what I'm about to tell you takes the cake and the icing and the sprinkles and the caramel syrup. Oh! And that little red cherry that is loaded with Red Dye #40.

Ok, I'm assuming if you're still here you are looking for wild and crazy so here it is: (Today is Friday the 13th after all!)

I arrived at our chiropractor's office and told him the sinus pressure behind my left eyeball was more than I could handle. I needed him to fix it. So, he began checking various acupressure points to see if he could get to the bottom of it. I was just sitting there calmly talking his ears off when he pressed a point in my back that caused me to yelp. (It's funny. I never considered myself part puppy dog, but yelp is the only word that can describe the sound I made.)

"I take it that's sore, huh?" he said.

I proceeded to tell him that yes, that part of my back was sore, but I could live with that if he'd just fix my eyeball. This is when he walked around to the front of me and pressed on the two sinus pressure points that rest above our eyes.

"That sore?" he asked.

"No..."

What he explained to me then (that I'll share with you today) made my head spin. He proceeded to explain to me that if my eyeball pain was in any way, shape or form connected to sinus pressure that the two points on the front of my face would be so sensitive (like that point in my back) that I would not let him press on them. He went on to say that the eye pain I was experiencing was directly related to my rib.

Hannah Montana say whaaaahhhh? (Sorry, having a six year old daughter has apparently rubbed off on me.)

At this point I looked for the hidden camera. I mean, how gullible do these people think I am?

However, it was true. Given some extreme stresses in our life at this point at this particular visit, my tense muscles had pulled my Rib #2 out of line. The tendons and muscles connected to Rib #2 had compensated, but had in turn had to pull and tug the muscles of the left side of my neck. Those tendons and muscles run up the back of my head and then connect to my eyeballs. So - Rib #2 was causing my eyeball pain.

I gotta tell you that I'm one of the most gullible people on Earth so even though I wanted to hope and believe him, I knew better. I still was not convinced that even though he said that he had pushed Rib #2 back in place that it was actually going to fix my eye. But, would you believe that gradually as the day wore on my eye got better and better? And the next morning I woke up and it hurt even less and within 48 hours I had no more eye pain.

The words that come to mind are "bizarre", "weird", "crazy". I'm sure you can think of a few as well.

However - I ask you: How many times have you been to your family physician and told him about some random pain or symptom you were experiencing? (For me - a million. "Hey Doc, my left knee hurts when I twist ....") And how many times did your family physician check to see if your rib was out of place or you were simply dehydrated or you were intolerant of a particular food? No, he might have attempted to get to the root of the problem, but more than likely he pushed an antibiotic or a high-dose pain killer at you and sent you on your way. Am I right?

I am still amazed at how God designed our bodies to heal naturally and what an important role natural-focused (and educated) doctors can play in that.

I have taken that decongestant back out of my purse and it is resting quietly in the cabinet again. I haven't had a sinus headache in months so why I'm keeping it I'm not real sure. Maybe it's a security blanket. Maybe it's my backup. (Old habits die hard you know?) Or maybe since the box is red, it simply matches my kitchen decor. Whatever purpose it serves in that cabinet right now is better than any purpose it would serve in my body.

Happy Friday. May your weekend be filled with quality time with those you love, good wholesome food, laughter and zero eyeball pain!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-05-12T09:58:00.000-05:00

Good Thursday morning! It is a beautiful rainy day here in Pflugerville, Texas and while I don't have anything earth shattering for you this morning, I do have a funny quote and a few recommendations.

I read this on my daily email this morning and thought it worth sharing:

"Did you ever stop to taste a carrot? Not eat it, but taste it? You can't taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie." - Astrid Alauda

That is one thing I have to say I'm consistently amazed at. Organic, whole, quality food tastes so much better than what we used to eat. We went to Serrano's a few weeks ago just to get out of the house and give me a break in the kitchen. I kept taking bites and adding salt thinking maybe they'd forgotten the salt in their beans or in their taquitos. Finally, when Rick felt like I'd clogged my arteries enough - he mentioned that food that wasn't organic didn't have near as much of a taste. So true, so true.

If it's raining at your house today (or sometime this weekend), consider having a movie watching festival. Here are three that I would highly recommend and that changed our lives upon viewing:

Super Size Me - Yes, it's a few years old now (produced in 2004), but if you haven't taken the plunge and watched it - you need to. I believe you can watch the entire thing online on Hulu if you go here. Or, if you have Netflix, you can rent it there as well. Although I haven't been in awhile, I'm sure a video store (like Blockbusters or Hastings) would have it also.

While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.

Food Matters - This one is quite possibly my favorite because of the wealth of knowledge it contains. My favorite part is the story about the guy healed of cancer by simply using Vitamin C. You have to see it to believe it! You can go here to watch the trailer. (Then if you'll do a search for "food matters" on youtube you can watch it in segments.) Or - you can always rent it on Netflix.

"The focus of the film is in helping us rethink the belief systems fed to us by our modern medical and health care establishments. The interviewees point out that not every problem requires costly, major medical attention and reveal many alternative therapies that can be more effective, more economical, less harmful and less invasive than conventional medical treatments."

Food, Inc - I'm not going to lie - this one had me sick at my stomach for days. It also made me angry. There are so many things going into our foods that we have no idea about. There are so many restrictions on farmers these days. This documentary is truly eye opening.

This is the official Food, Inc website where you can buy the DVD. Or, you can watch it on Netflix or find bits and pieces of it on Youtube. I warn you though, this one is not an easy watch.

"In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment."

100th Day Celebration

2011-05-11T08:33:00.002-05:00

We had a party at our house last night. No, it wasn't any one's birthday - not even our anniversary. We celebrated Craig's 100th good day at school! Way to go Craiger!!

Craig brings home a folder each night that I sign and return. It contains a calendar that his teacher marks each day to let me know how his behavior was at school. If there is a stamped smiley face, he had a good day. Otherwise, she will write in it and tell me what kind of problems he had. (Sometimes there hasn't been enough space for all the writing! [gulp])

If you look back to September before we figured out this entire food allergy thing, he has writing on almost every day. However, after that - each month the writing is a little less and a little less. And - even better - it is writing about how he was "running in the hallway" (something I consider much less offensive) instead of "kicking his teacher".

Craig decided to count all his smiley faces last week to see how many he had. He's pretty proud of them. At the time, he had 98 so I told him we should have a party when he hit 100.

Nothing like a little motivation! The little guy hit 100 just 2 school days later.

We celebrated by eating dinner in front of the t.v. and then making some homemade ice cream.

The ice cream maker didn't freeze quite as fast as I was hoping, so I grabbed the back up Rice Dream Ice Cream out of the freezer and we had that instead. (Shhh! Don't tell the kids!)

We then turned on the "hip hop music" (as Julie calls it) and had a dance party in the den right before bed.

Why?

Maybe that's the question popping into your head. Why go to all that trouble?

That's simple.

We're celebrating a life that's been redeemed. Every single day is a complete and total wonder to us as we praise Him for bringing back our little boy.

** Make sure you check out our newest Success Story: Gayle!

You CAN Afford to Eat Healthy!

2011-05-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

$950.

Do you have any bills at your house that are $950 / month? Maybe that's your house/rent payment. Maybe that's your combined car payments. Or, maybe that's your combined credit card payments. Ouch!

$950 was our grocery bill one month when we first started this health journey. When you combined that with medical bills that were over $500/month then we had what you might call a problem. (I mean, if you call the vein on the side of my husbands forehead popping out a problem.)

Without me bringing in an income right now, we cannot swing $1400/month on health. Maybe that's hypocritical in your eyes. However, if I really analyze it - how realistic would it be if we could swing $1400? I mean, how can I open this website and try and help as many people as I can by teaching them what we've learned and yet spend that much each month? Because while you might be able to swing it, the majority of people cannot swing that amount each and every month.

So, I set out to try and figure out how to eat this way, live this way, breathe this way - for less - and here is what I've learned:

Coupons Work EVERYWHERE

If you watch TLC, you've probably seen the show Extreme Couponing. It's an awesome show, but don't expect to be able to pull off those kind of savings eating well. Yes, you can use coupons to get chips, cereals and sodas for free. But, in all my research you will never find coupons that will get you organic apples, oranges and bananas for free.

However, before you give up - I have a rainbow in this storm.

While there are some things that you will just always pay full price for if you want to eat healthy, you can save money in other areas so that overall you reduce your grocery spending.

Coupons work and they work everywhere. However, you rarely see people using coupons at Sprouts and especially Whole Foods. (That must be nice!) That doesn't mean that you CAN'T use them though!

The first time I ever used coupons combined with things that were on sale at Whole Foods, I saved $25 off my total bill. The cashier asked me if she could take a picture of my receipt because she'd never seen anyone save so much there. Twenty Five dollars isn't a large amount in the grand scheme of couponing, but every little bit helps.

Whole Foods puts out a coupon list each week that you can get in their store and also online. Then, I take those coupons and see if the manufacturer of each good offers a coupon online as well. I do the same thing at Sprouts.

You can maximize your savings if you combine your coupon with what is on sale. For example, if they put Udi's Gluten Free White Bread on sale, I use a dollar off coupon I found online combined with a $1.50 off coupon they put in their flyer combined with their sale to get the bread for $3.00 instead of the usual $5.99. It's not free (like on Extreme Couponing) - but it's much less expensive and it's one of the only breads my son can ingest.

Order in Bulk

This is one that won't make you a millionaire, but every little penny counts. Whole Foods (and Sprouts as well I think) have a hidden secret. If you order any item by the case, they will give you a 10% discount.

So, how can we work that to our advantage?

Well, if you find you're eating a lot of something (like Udi's bread or Kettle potato chips, like us) then it would benefit you to order it by the case. (A case is 8, 10 or 12 items. It varies depending on the item.)

So, how can we work this EVEN MORE to our advantage?

I like to wait until they put a particular item on sale and THEN I jump in and order it by the case. For example, my most recent find was my favorite sweet tea: Sweet Leaf. This tea is normally sold for $1.50/bottle making it a treat I enjoy only on occasion instead of each and everyday. However, recently it went on sale for $1/bottle. So, I ordered a couple of cases taking advantage of the 10% off making each bottle actually $.90 instead. Now, that's a bottle of tea I can enjoy each day! (At least - that is - until I run out.)

Order Online

I know some of you that read this and I know you're terrified to order things online. You're going to need to get over it for this part of the savings. (And it's going to be a very important option for those of you not living in a city.)

Truth of the Day: Things online are (almost always) less expensive than in the store.

I have found this to be true over and over again on this journey. I know what you're thinking: "Kristen, you're losing when it comes to the shipping!" However, I've only paid the shipping on one item in the last six months.

My favorite way to find out if I can get a grocery item for our home cheaper online is to visit Amazon. (However, I have also found good savings ordering directly from the manufacturer so don't forget to try that as an option!)

My most recent finds on Amazon include our Amazing Meal (that we drink daily) and the kid's favorite gluten-free, egg-free, dye-free, salicylate-free, artificial-sweetener-free, sulfite-free cereal: EnviroKidz Leamin' Lepur. I found the Amazing Meal at a 25% discount and the cereal at a 50% discount and got free shipping on both. Score!

Farmers Markets

It's a little bit hard to shop at a Farmer's Market if you don't eat vegetables. However, this is where you can seriously save in your grocery budget.

If you live in the Austin area, it is very easy to find a farmer's market near you. You could start here in your search. (If you don't live in the Austin area, I'll be happy to help you locate the market nearest you.)

My favorites (so far) that are near me are the market on Saturday mornings at Lakeline Mall, the Pflugerville market on Tuesday afternoons and the Dell Diamond on Wednesday afternoons. Lakeline has about 50 vendors and they have everything from seafood to flowers to dog treats to vegetables. Pflugerville is small, but good. Their selection of vegetables is awesome and they happen to have a gluten free bakery that brings cupcakes that my kids adore. Dell Diamond is made up of about 25 vendors and their selection of vegetables is great as well. They have meat, plants, bread, honey and even some ice cream as well.

What do you need to know before you go?

1) Farmer's Markets only take cash. (There is an ATM on site if needed.)
2) Farmer's Markets deal in whole numbers. Nothing is marked $3.99. It's all $4 even or $3 even. For some reason, this makes me feel like I'm spending less. You have to watch yourself!
3) Farmer's Markets offer baskets of vegetables instead of weighing in some cases. I buy my cucumbers by the basketful (small basket - about 5 cucumbers) for three or four dollars.
4) Farmer's Markets house some seriously friendly people. Our churches could take lessons.

Meal Substitutions

We substitute our breakfast each and every morning with a shake. The one we have chosen is outlined on our Products page. The reason we've chosen to do this is three-fold:

a) It is much healthier than anything else we could choose for breakfast. It's loaded with probiotics, vitamins, nutrients, etc...

b) It enables us to "coast" through that part of the mornings, yet make a wise decision in the meantime. I don't know how morning go at your house, but ours are packed with lunch making, kid dressing, folder signing chaos at times. In all of the confusion and chaos I have been known to just grab a cupcake or some cold pizza. Having this "plan" enables me to not have to think about breakfast and be able to focus on getting everyone out the door.

c) It is actually less expensive for us because we aren't using the cereal, the milk, the eggs or the bread each and every morning.

(This is also great for weight loss, but we're talking about how to save money on your healthy grocery bill.)

Meat Straight from the Rancher

If you want to save money, go straight to the source! That's what we've done with our meat supply. I order straight from the rancher which a) helps the rancher and his family, b) assures me I'm getting quality meat and c) cuts the middle man therefore cutting my cost.

Instead of paying $5.99/lb of organic, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, hormone-free ground beef, I now pay $4.50/lb. That tends to add up each night at dinner!

(If that still sounds pricey to you, it might be because you're still paying $1.97/lb at one of the large grocery chains. If you have time later, you might want to take a look at what's really in that meat your eating. Here's a few things: red dye (to make it look pretty), hormones (from when the cow was alive), preservatives (so it will stay on the shelf longer). Why do those things matter? Well, that's another blog post for another day, but do you think it's any coinsedence that our cancer cases, diabetes cases, autism cases, and even just plain obesity cases are at an all time high? I don't.)

While I order our meat an entire month at at time (because I have a deep freeze), I also have reduced the amount of meat we ingest. Rick and I have a little laugh each time we eat a meal without meat because a year ago this was completely foreign to us. I mean, it can't be a real meal unless there's meat, right?!

Our meat (for the entire month) now costs me less than $150. If that still seems steep to you, divide it out. Let's say we eat 20 dinners a month that contain meat. If you divide that, it comes out to $7.50 per meal. That's $1.87 per person.

Go here to find a rancher near you.

Wash, Wash & Rewash

Let's say that you just cannot afford organic fruits and vegetables. Maybe you're a single parent doing the best you can. Maybe your spouse was laid off from their job. Maybe you spend all your money on the organic beef and can't do the other.

Whatever the reason, this would be my recommendation:

Wash the fruit or veggie with a vegetable wash. Then, soak the fruit in a mixture of water and Agrisept. (Agrisept can be found on our Products page.) Agrisept is known as being an extremely powerful anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral product. While you wouldn't be getting all of the benefits of organic produce, you could eliminate so much of the bad just by using Agrisept.

One other tool you might employ is peeling. This is a good rule of thumb if you can't go completely organic: If you are going to eat the peel (like an apple or pear) buy organic. If not (like a grapefruit or cantelope), buy conventional.

Articles

If this particular post hasn't been long enough for you (ha), then take a look at some of these for more information and a little extra reading.

Can you afford to eat right? I don't think you can afford NOT to!

How to Cook Whole Food from Scratch - And Keep Your Day Job Or, like me - it has become my day job!

Your Family Could Be Eating Organic Food for the Same Price as Processed Foods - or Less This one is a goody! Don't miss it - very eye opening!

Six Foods that will Give You the Most Health "Bang" For Your Buck - These are staples in my house! (except the raw milk ... we use rice milk when possible)

A Special Request

One last thing before I head out .... I am now getting about four phone calls or emails a week. Some of them come from friends. Some of them come from friends of friends. Some of them come from complete strangers who found our site in their search for truth. Their calls/emails range in degree from children with behavior problems to serious diseases like Lupus. Our desire is to help as many families as we can. Who can you tell about our site? Who could you email? Would you be willing to post it on your Facebook wall? Help us out by passing it on. Maybe you don't need it, but bets are - someone you know does!

Why You Can't Lose Weight

2011-05-06T16:53:00.000-05:00

Last March (2010) we paid off the last of our debt and so I decided to reward myself with a gym membership. I became a gym junky going to the gym everyday and working out on the elliptical and then lifting weights. When school let out for the summer, Rick joined me in my junkiness and started going with me. However, I began to notice something.

Rick began working out like a crazy man and began losing weight. I had a three month head start on him and hadn't lost a pound. Not one.

I realize jealousy is not the appropriate emotion to feel here; however, it's what I felt. I mean, yes - I was happy for the man. But mostly - I was jealous.

Why is it that we can follow a strict eating plan and we can work out and we can run ourselves crazy trying to lose weight and then only lose 5-10 pounds or sometimes nothing at all? Well, that's what I hope to touch on today.

Reason #1: Food Allergies

If you have tried everything to lose weight and the pounds just will not come off, I'd like to tell you two things: #1) I so get it! I feel your pain! And #2) Your problem might be food allergies.

You can call it a food allergy, a food sensitivity or a food intolerance. Whatever you choose to call it - it will cause you to retain water and fat. I love this article as I feel it hits the nail on the head.

It might be that you're simply intolerant of gluten. Maybe it's something like corn or soy. Or - you might be one of the "unlucky" ones like Craig and find that you're allergic to everything but cardboard. However, whatever it is - if you would quit putting it in your body, your body would do two things. First it would shed the water it's retaining. That would lead to a 5-10 lb initial weight loss usually in the first week. (Granted, you will probably suffer some headaches, maybe upset stomach, and even some grumpiness during this time as your body suffers from a little bit of withdrawal. Good times!) However, after that first week your body will respond to what you've been trying to do to lose weight. If you're working out, it'll begin responding. If you're eating salads everyday for lunch, it'll begin responding to that. But - it will refuse to respond (by letting go of water and fat) as long as you're feeding it the exact allergen that is causing the trouble in the first place.

How do you figure out what food or substance your body doesn't like? It's simple. Go to a chiropractor that does muscle testing. Wherever you live you can find one fairly close. Get on the internet or the phone and begin calling or emailing asking if the chiropractor you're considering does muscle testing. It is painless and takes less than 1 minute to check for a substance. You don't even have to get adjusted (popped) if you are uncomfortable with that. (I have two chiropractors in the Austin area that I would highly recommend. Just shoot me an email.)

Reason #2: Candida

This one isn't pretty. I apologize. However, it's a huge problem and it's relatively unknown on so many levels.

Candida is defined by dictionary.com as "A yeastlike, parasitic fungus that can cause an infection (candidiasis) such as athlete's foot and vaginitis." However, before the men check out, it's not just a problem for women. Candida affects millions of women and men.

This is my favorite article regarding candida because it covers more than just the "norm" when it comes to thinking about yeast. Essentially, candida is a yeast infection that begins in the digestive system and spreads little by little to other parts of the body. How? Well, birth control pills, antibiotics, cortisone, and chemotherapy kill the good bacteria in our system that keep candida in check. I don't know about you, but I've taken 3 out of those 4 at some point in my life!

For me, candida began affecting my bladder. I'll spare you the details, and just suffice it to say that bladder problems plagued me for years before I discovered that candida might be the cause. Candida can cause a multitude of symptoms ranging from bladder problems (like me) to depression, sinus infections, and muscle aches.

However, one of the products we recommend has been proven to combat Candida: Agrisept. You can find it on our products page and we'll be glad to share a regiment that has been recommended for fighting Candida.

Reason #3: Your Workouts

I'll confess that when I learned about Peak 8 Exercise, I was furious. How many hours did I spend on elliptical machines last year not losing ANYTHING?

What I learned is this: If you want to lose weight, get a good workout, do your heart some good (call it whatever you want) - you must work your heart ANAEROBICALLY. I was spending hours on ellipticals and sweating and panting, but only working my heart AEROBICALLY.

There's a difference. And the difference is in the weight loss my friend. (Ok, it's in the heart health part of it too. But, who cares about being healthy? I just want to be skinny!) ;)

Here's how it works:

There are three types of muscle fibers in your body -

Slow (red muscle, which contains more oxygen)
Fast (white muscle)
Super-fast (white muscle)

When you work out like I was, "… [T]he blood supply is going to the red muscle. The white muscle really doesn't get a lot of blood because it doesn't need a lot of blood. It gets its energy from the stored up energy in your body. That's six to eight seconds worth of stored up energy and through the oxygen you breathe for 30 seconds or less."

I wasn't using my white muscle while on the ellipticals. But, the white muscle is where the weight loss is.

When you work your super-fast fiber, it forces your heart to work anaerobically. "If you don't work all three muscle fiber types and energy systems, then you're not going to work both processes of your heart muscle. Many mistakenly believe that cardio works out your heart muscle, but what you're really working is your slow twitch muscle fibers. You're not working the anaerobic process of your heart... traditional strength training and cardio only works your slow twitch muscle fibers. Your body kicks in these slow twitch muscles first, in an effort to not recruit your fast twitch muscles or work your heart anaerobically."*

You can go here to watch a few videos and read up more on Peak 8 Exercises.

In the meantime, if you're trying to lose a few pounds why don't you consider figuring out which foods your body doesn't tolerate well and cleansing your body with some Agrisept. Then, after you've educated yourself, add in the Peak 8 Exercise and I bet I won't recognize you the next time I see you!

* All quotes from http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/11/13/phil-campbell-on-peak-8-exercises.aspx

Meat Glue

2011-05-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Weak stomach? I hope not!

Today I have a very disturbing video for you regarding the state of the meat we're putting in our bodies. I had no idea that there was such a thing as "meat glue".

If you've got five minutes, this is worth the watch!

Then, if it upsets you enough - go here to find a farm near you where you could get hormone free, antibiotic free, healthy beef, chicken and pork. (Or give us a call and we'll help you find healthy meat near you.)

(Make sure you check out our Tools & Success Stories pages as we have new information there!)

Rice Milk

2011-05-03T09:39:00.000-05:00

Why do they call it "lactose intolerant"? When I was a kid, I was "allergic to milk". I'm sure my mother would testify to the fact that considering she was hospitalized four times from exhaustion my first year of life, there was definetely more than an "intolerance" going on.

It does seem kind of anti-climactic, don't you think? I mean, considering the signs and symptoms that occur when one cannot consume dairy, you would think they would call it something like "The-Worst-Stomach-Pain-Ever (sans labor)".

Maybe you're lactose intolerant. Or, maybe you've read some of the debates on milk verses soy verses almond or rice milk and have discovered (as we have) that (dairy) milk is actually not good for you.

WHAT?!! I remember the first time I ever heard that. Dairy is one of the major food groups! I've seen the chart - fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat. You have to get all of them to be healthy, right?

However, the more I studied (mainly for my son at first) - the more I realized that unless the milk is raw (straight from the cow to my mouth), it is "dead".

Oh my word! How many sippy cups of milk did I feed to my children?

At first, I turned to soy milk thinking (like most of the rest of America) that it was a healthy, logical choice. However, most of the soybeans grown today are genetically modified. It is extremely rare to find organic soy grown in the U.S.

So, until I could find a proper "substitute", I put my family on organic dairy milk. I wasn't happy with it, but at least I knew they could use it safely in their cereals and I could use it in recipes. However, the cost of organic milk has nearly forced us to take out a loan! (Can I get an amen?)

But, those days are over. Until Rick (and Bubbles) will let me put a cow in our backyard, we are going Rice Milk all the way baby.

That's got to be expensive too, right?

Not when you make your own!

Did I just see you roll your eyes? (I know my brother just did. He has already informed me that he thinks I've gone off the deep end.) However - stay with me here. I was AMAZED at how simple it was. (Not to mention inexpensive!)

Wait. What about all the nutrients ... the calcium you'll be missing? Again, unless you're drinking it straight from the cow, the milk you're drinking is dead anyway. Pasteurized milk doesn't have the nutrients raw milk has. (And frankly, if you're that worried about calcium, supplement with a Calcium supplement.)

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN RICE MILK

Are you excited?

You're going to need:

8 oz organic long grain brown rice
8 cups water
more water for diluting
mason jars (or other storage containers)
blender

Begin by washing the rice thoroughly. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add the rice. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 3 hours. (I stirred mine occasionally so that it wouldn't stick to the bottom.)

Fill the blender halfway with cool water. Fill the other half with the rice "soup". Blend until smooth.

(I made the first batch with just water and rice. However, after the second batch, I began putting maple syrup and cinnamon into the blender to give the milk a sweeter taste. I will continue to do this until we are used to used to the change. You could also just put a tablespoon or two of organic sugar in if desired.)

Strain the mixture so that the milk separates from the unblended rice.

Pour into mason jars (or other storage containers) and refrigerate.

Eight ounces of rice made 6 1/2 (16 oz) jars of rice milk. (Roughly 7 cups - or almost half a gallon)

Let's talk prices.

I paid $.82 for the rice. That's $.82 for a half gallon of milk or $1.64 for a gallon. Since I had to purchase the mason jars for the first time, if you factor in their cost, I paid $5.46 for the first gallon. (However, that will only be a one time fee and oddly enough is still cheaper than most organic milk.)

We have used the rice milk so far in oatmeal and in smoothies and no one has been able to tell a difference. Well, that's not entirely true. Rick said his wallet can already tell the difference!

Welcome!

2011-05-02T07:37:00.000-05:00

We're so glad you're here!

We introduced Body, Soul & Mind almost a month ago and today we're officially launching the website. Thanks for stopping by! We'd love to hear from you.

The One That Started It All

2011-04-21T13:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Body, Soul & Mind! We're still working on the site, but feel free to explore and contact us if we can serve you in any way.

Also, we'd like to hear from you! Let us know

What you'd like to see on the Body, Soul & Mind site

What kind of information you'd like on what topics

How we can serve you better

Vitamin D - My Own Happy Pill

2011-04-17T13:31:00.001-05:00

(((Please apply disclaimer from March 1st post to this post as well. No lawsuits or frivolous complaints please. I neither pretend to be a doctor nor play one on TV.)))

As a freshman, I had the privilege of being a part of the Crane Golden Crane band. They needed an oboe player and I needed another elective. At that time, they were ranked fourth in the state and one of the annual rewards was a trip to State Solo & Ensemble combined with a Schlitterbahn visit. For kids that lived in the dry, arid dessert sand dunes (also known as West Texas), Schlitterbahn was a water wonderland. (This was also before Schlitterbahn went BIG and was featured on the travel channel.)

I'll never forget riding home (on the chartered buses - not those nasty yellow dogs other schools had to use) (oh, how spoiled we were) and hearing Barbara barfing her lungs up in the back of the bus. Word trickled forward that Barbara had thought it would be a bright idea to start her summer tan at Schlitterbahn that year. So, she'd gone the entire day at the waterpark without sunblock.

Obviously, Barbara made a stupid decision and we all paid for it the entire way home.

However, at what point did her sun exposure turn catastrophic? If she had only stayed out half the day without sunblock, would she have had the same reaction? What about an hour?

We've been brain washed into thinking that if we're going to be outside then we need sunblock. If our kids are going to be outside for longer than it takes them to get from the front door to the minivan, we slather sunblock so thick on them, we could no longer catch them if we tried. They'd slip right from our grasp.

With everything that has happened with Craig's diet and the changes we've made as a family, I am SMACK DAB in the middle of sunblock and pool research. See, sunblocks contain millions (slight exaggeration) of synthetic ingredients that Craig can't put on his skin. And pools? Chlorine is no longer an option for my little one either. Granted, we will probably venture to Schlitterbahn or Seaworld once or twice this summer. However, we won't be hitting up the neighborhood pool on a daily basis like we did last year. I'm looking for alternatives - like salt water pools, rivers, or possibly a backyard pool. (That last option comes with a groan.)

However, I've come across some very interesting findings regarding Vitamin D as I compare sun exposure with mineral veils combined with astaxanthin.

We all know we get Vitamin D from the sun and probably the majority of us are on a Vitamin D supplement (especially in the winter months). The first thing I would recommend is to check your supplement for Red Dye #40. Sound ridiculous, but a good friend just informed me that her Vitamin D she's been taking for the long winter months in New York contained red dye. (I could just scream!)

Secondly - how much do you need? Well, this is where it gets interesting. Vitamin D comes in a variety of sizes and strengths. On the back of the bottles, the daily recommendation is usually only 60 units (IU's) per day. However, recent research has proven that larger amounts provide enormous protection from auto-immune diseases, Parkinson's, colds & flu, heart disease and stroke.

I increased my Vitamin D intake to 8000's units a day after research that indicated that it would boost my immune system and possibly help with depression. I don't think I've ever suffered from true depression, but sometimes negative thoughts seem to get the best of me. (I tell myself I'm entitled to a few negative thoughts given everything that has happened over the last year. Allow me this disillusionment, please.)

I have been amazed at how my energy levels have sky rocketed and how negative thoughts come around alot less frequently. If depression, negativity or just a general sense of "down-ness" has ever been a problem for you, I would highly recommend increasing your Vitamin D intake.

Obviously, however - the best way to get Vitamin D is through a little bit of healthy outdoor time. Again though - how much? How long?

I recently came across this website that calculates how many minutes of sun exposure you would need where you live to equal 1000 units of a Vitamin D supplement. For me, living in Austin and with it being April, I would need three minutes of sun exposure on my face, arms and hands to equal 1000 units. Therefore, since my daily goal right now is about 8,000 units total, 20 minutes in the sun is just about right. Look yours up and see what would work for you.

Spoiled

2011-03-31T13:37:00.000-05:00

This post could take a number of directions with that title. For instance, I could tell you how incredibly fast organic food spoils compared to non-organic food. (I can keep organic pears and bananas for a max of 4 days and then if they haven't been eaten, they're too mushy and nasty. Their non-organic counterfruits used to last until someone ate them.)

Or - maybe that title is describing Bubbles the 65lb Black Golden Retriever who is currently snuggled up next to me on the couch because she's cold. (If Rick was here, he'd kick her off the furniture.)

We could even use that word to describe my children at times. (Gasp)

However, that title is for no one other than yours truly today. I have decided that I am spoiled. Now, this is the point where you thank your lucky stars that your reading a blog entry about my spoilage and not having a face-to-face conversation with me because it could get awkward here.

I mean, I'd say I've determined that I'm spoiled and you'd say you know and that you've been meaning to talk to me about my excessive shopping trips to Sam Moon. This is the point where I'd realize you and I were not talking about the same kind of spoiled and a hushed, awkward silence would fall over our conversation. (Then, we'd probably decide to grab some Chipotle for lunch and run by Sam Moon ... )

You see, after yesterday, I have determined that this new way of living (organic, extreme food intolerances, salicylate build up, etc...) has spoiled me.

We began this (extreme) journey on January 26th of this year when the entire family switched to only organic fruits & vegetables, only hormone-free, grass-fed beef, only free-range organic chicken .... you get the idea. (Craig had already been egg free, dye free and gluten free for a few months but we went extreme in late January to test for the salicylates and sulfites.)

I will admit that in the beginning it was (soooooo) hard because we were so limited and because I was having to make every single thing that we ate. We weren't eating out. (my absolute favorite thing to do!!) We weren't able to buy anything already prepared. My work load significantly increased. However, once we began to see results - the work load didn't seem to matter anymore. Remember labor? Once you get the prize at the end, the work of the actual labor and delivery are significantly diminished in size. Results fuel our hope! What about the last diet you were on? (No, the one that worked.) When you were actually losing, you probably didn't care what you were having to go through to see the numbers decrease. As long as it's working, we can usually stick it out.

Once we began to get our son back, the constant (and I do mean CONSTANT) work of trying to stay one step ahead on his food, the never ending trips to Whole Foods, and the lack of creativity in our diet didn't seem like so much of a burden.

Then, something really weird happened. Are you ready for this? They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. I don't know if that is true - but at some point - this new way of life became a habit. At some point it began to feel normal. I like the way Rick put it when he informed me that we can no longer say that "the weird people shop at Whole Foods". When I asked him why, he said it's because we ARE the weird people now. We ARE the Austin tree huggers. We ARE the hippies. (Ok, maybe I took it too far there.)

That's why yesterday was so hard. You see, we've gotten used to our new kid. We have to work our backsides off to make sure he's eating correctly, but in exchange - we get a new son. I've already told you what a joy he is to be around now and I'm sure you're tired of hearing it, but when you go 6-8 years of "enduring" your child instead of enjoying your child, you tend to bask in the joy for a while.

However, lest I think I have this thing under control (a.k.a. - that I know it all, a.k.a. - get prideful) every once in awhile we have a day like yesterday. When I drove up in the carpool line yesterday at school to pick them up, I could tell by the look on his face that he was "reacting". (Reacting is the term I have coined (ha) to describe how Craig behaves when he has ingested something disagreeable. That's a diplomatic way of saying: When he's acting half-stupid again)

I had the joy of witnessing all kinds of temper tantrums, yellings, and just general irritations yesterday from the boy. He couldn't sleep last night (which is another sign he's reacting) and I fully expected him to wet the bed (yet another sign) but it seems we were spared from that one. (Whew!)

However, I realized in experiencing it all over again yesterday that I have become very accustomed to the new things in my life. #1) This new way of eating (while alot of work) has become our new "normal". #2) This new boy that I live with now has so many "good days" that the bad days seem all the more bad. I don't mean that in a negative way. I also don't mean it to sound ungrateful or snarky. It's just that we've had so many good days now that when a bad one rolls around it is completely out of character and it catches us off guard. (That's a diplomatic way of saying: It makes us wish we could crawl under a rock and hide.) So what do you do with a day like yesterday? Well, I don't know how you're "supposed" to handle it. I mean, as of yet, no one has written the Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dye-Free, Salicylate-Free, Sulfite-Free Handbook. But, I can tell you what we did: I read and re-read (and then read again) the food journal. (Rick will tell you he despises the amount of reading I do in the food journal when Craig is reacting. It drives him insane.) When he reacts I look at everything the child has ingested for the last 5 days. This particular time, I realized that Craig has had an apple, an orange, and a handful of strawberries every single day for at least 5 days. That is an ENORMOUS amount of salicylates. While I knew this in packing his lunch each day, I wanted to know how many days he could go before he "filled up". You see, salicylates accumulate in your system. They build up. That is why one orange may not be the trigger, but two oranges might do the trick. When we first started this, Craig couldn't even tolerate one apple. However, now - after 64 days of doing this, he can handle 5 days of salicylates. What does that mean? Well - it means his body is slowly healing. And - the mommy hope inside of me hopes that it means that eventually he will be free from all of these restrictions.

I throw the t.v. rules out the window. I don't know how it works in your house, but over here the kids are encouraged to play outside or with their toys in their rooms. (That's a diplomatic way of saying: we keep the t.v. off as much as possible until the kids are in bed.) However, on days like yesterday, I throw rules to the curb and turn on Disney. Craig vegges in front of the TV and the world is a happier place. This keeps him away from the Wii (which angers him when he's reacting), away from his sister (who angers him when he's reacting), and away from me (who gets angry when he's reacting). :) Ok, seriously speaking - it just works for us. And I could get all bent out of shape about him watching 2 hours of t.v., or I could realize that it's one day and he's probably not going to be any worse off because of it. (Grace is a beautiful thing, you know?)
I put him to bed early. It's not a punishment although it feels that way sometimes to him. However, I try to keep in mind that any time I feed him something that causes him to react, his body has to heal (yet again) after that encounter. Our bodies heal when they sleep. (Particularly in the first two hours we are asleep.) So, more sleep equals more opportunity to heal. (It also enables him to have some quiet moments in his bed with nothing to yell at, throw things at, or attack. That's a win-win for everyone!)
I give a few extra supplements. Some of the supplements that he takes are to help him digest foods better. Some are to help with liver function (which I think I've mentioned was weakened because of too many years of poisons). Then, we have some that are specifically to help with allergens he encounters in his food or environmentally. When he's having a rough day, I give a few extra of those. Sometimes we see a direct result. Sometimes we just grit our teeth and get through the rest of the day without a result.
I go back to the bare basics for at least 24 hours. Bare basics means ABSOLUTELY ZERO eggs, gluten, salicylates, dyes and sulfites. (If you'll recall, we are slowly adding back in a few salicylates a little at a time.) So, while Craig has been recently having an apple and an orange in his lunch (because he's been tolerating them well) and then enjoying a berry smoothy when he arrives home from school - today he will be enjoying none of that. No fruits. Very low salicylate veggies. What if it's not the salicylates he's reacting to this time? Well, until I know everything and can read minds, I have to err on the side of caution. If it's not the salicylates and he's simply reacting to an environmental allergen (like the mold count or cedar), that will run it's course and he'll return to normal. However, if it IS the salicylate and I just continue to feed him those, they will build in his system only making things worse. I'm an all-or-nothing kind of gal. I'd rather pull out all the stops and get him back to our (new) normal than tinker around with ideas and notions and eventually land on the right one.

So, here I sit today ... spoiling. (hee hee) I'm incredibly thankful for the good days as one year ago there were no good days (in reference to food allergies). However, I'm also incredibly thankful for the bad days because they remind me how far we've come.

Why the Public School System is in More Trouble Than You Know

2011-03-25T13:42:00.001-05:00

It doesn't matter if your children are home schooled, private schooled or public schooled. Chances are, you've heard of the public school crisis.

It's been an especially hot topic in my family because (as I've told you before) we come from teachers and preachers. Every single person in our family is either a teacher or in ministry. (Ok, that's a slight exaggeration, but not much of one.) Our entire immediate family is in ministry or the teaching profession (or retired from them).

So, the public school crisis hits close to home for us. Granted, I've been predicting this (a public school meltdown/crash) for about 5 years now - but I had no idea it would hit so soon or so hard. I predicted 10 years out. Maybe it was more wishful thinking than anything else.

We are currently waiting to hear if Rick has a contract for next year. His district is "laying off" more than 100 staff members. It's been touch and go for weeks now. (I'm speaking of the job situation ... but it's been touch and go in the house as well just in case you were wondering!) One day he comes home and tells me that they held a meeting and they're going to need to get rid of another science person. We hold our breath for a few days and then he comes home and tells me they changed their minds and decided to go another direction. Then we repeat the process again a few weeks later. It's very ... um ... ... (ahem) ... character building.

We're not the only ones in our family being affected. We've gotten heart breaking emails and phone calls this week about what our loved ones are facing.

It is sobering and humbling and depressing all in the same breath. And while I would say I'm probably one solid step away from being a complete conspiracy theory fool, I don't think I'm stretching it too far when I say that this could have only been expected with the government being so hands on with our schools.

I know we like to think that as long as they have a good teacher and she's a Believer that our kids are safe and we don't really have much to worry about. She may have to teach evolution, but truth will prevail because .... well .... because I'm the room mom. (What? You haven't had that thought?)

We got our first real dose of just how cleverly the government has seized control of any and all aspects of our public schools when we needed Craig to be allowed to take a few of his supplements during school hours. He has a few whole food supplements that directly counteract allergens he comes in contact with in the environment and in food. While he gets both of these in the morning before he leaves, they have worn off by mid day and he begins to react slightly. While it is not near the behavior problems he was once experiencing, it still causes disruptions to the class from time to time and gets him sent out of the classroom. (For example, the last time it happened - he was throwing his cucumbers up in the air, catching them on his eyeballs and then trying to bounce them into his mouth. You can imagine trying to teach with that circus act going on. However, when he's reacting and you ask him to quit, he loses his temper and makes a scene.)

So, we began experimenting and talking with his chiropractor and soon figured out that if he could just have another dose of his supplements, he could finish the afternoon like a champ.

AWESOME!!

However, what I soon realized is that this is considered illegal.

We contacted the school to let them know Craig needed to take the supplements at school and asked what forms we needed to fill out. They sent the forms, but in reading through them we realized that the district had VERY strict guidelines regarding what the school nurses were allowed to give. Upon further investigation we discovered that it wasn't the district guidelines near as much as it was the states.

Even with a doctor's note, Craig was still denied the pills he needed.

The school nurse is allowed to dispense antihistamines, antibiotics, injections, epi-pens, and a whole host of other meds, but she cannot go near supplements.

The premise for this is steroids. (Or is it?) (I told you I'm just one hop, skip & a jump away from my own Conspiracy Theory.)

Supplements are likened to steroids in that they are not FDA approved and could affect the performance of a student ... or more importantly (in their eyes) an athlete. If the school nurses (and trainers) were allowed to distribute supplements, they could beef up their players before the big games. This is the reasoning they have on paper. (I'm not convinced.)

I'll save you my long, drawn-out Theory and just suffice it to say that if schools were allowed to give herbs, supplements, whole foods and vitamins instead of poisons (a.k.a. medications) - we would not be seeing near the cases of ADHD, ADD, diabetes, autism, etc... (However, the flip side of that is that the pharmaceutical companies wouldn't be making a killing off of the medications either. The love of money ... )

Yes, I know what I just said. I also know the research I've done since we began exploring other options for our son and I know where it's led us.

My children will never again receive another vaccination in their lives if I can help it. (If we have more children, they won't be vaccinated.) There is too much research that proves the links to autism.

My family will continue to eat organic, hormone-free, dye-free foods and do without in other areas (clothes, cars, etc...) for as long as we can without declaring bankruptcy. There is too much research that proves that the preservatives and additives in food are killing us.

We started this journey originally to help our son and it's turned into a life changing ordeal for our entire family. We won't ever be the same. We can't go back.

I realize that may sound a little dramatic (and yes we all know I can bring the drama) - but it's true. What we have learned in the last year regarding health, wellness, and food has taken us to a place of no return. (This is the part where you sing Phantom of the Opera's "Past the Point of No Return". Or, like Rick, you just roll your eyes and move on.)

Seriously speaking, this is a big enough, life changing ordeal to me that I am in the midst of beginning a ministry that centers around bringing truth on this very subject to families. I want to be able to go to churches (because getting into schools with this information will be banned) and speak to parents and show them how we found help ... point them to truth. However, that is a blog for another day.

Teacher layoffs, bigger class sizes, lack of freedom to give children medications they need ... It gets better.

I talked to one of my family members recently who informed me that her principal told them to no longer teach two of the subjects to their classes because they aren't going to be tested on them on the Taks test coming up in April. No need to learn history kids - it won't be on the Taks!

One of my other family members recently informed me that they found out that there is a poisonous "substance" in their school and the children are coming in contact with it each and every day, but that they are choosing not to do anything about it because the school doesn't have the money to fix it. And the most pitiful part? The teachers were sworn to secrecy and not allowed to tell the parents.

I don't know what the future holds for our schools. I don't know what the future holds for my husband's (and other family members) line of work or my children's schooling. (We all know I have no business home schooling them! I just taught Craig on Tuesday the "wrong" way to do subtraction. Oi vey!)

So much of all of it doesn't make sense to me. However, I don't have to have all the answers or have it all figured out. And - I don't have to worry about what the future holds. Furthermore, maybe the Lord put me in this place at this time in these circumstances "for such a time as this".

There's No Crying in Baseball!!!!

2011-03-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

Oprah describes something called the "Ugly Cry" on her show sometimes. (I have lots of time to watch Oprah because the life of a stay at home mom is only made up of bon bons, hair appointments, and lunch dates.)

Her definition of the Ugly Cry is something to the effect of just losing it and breaking into that cry that comes complete with sobs, snot, and semi-convulsing. You've been there - you know what I'm talking about. It's the cry you save for when you're all alone. It's not the pretty one you do at church or in front of your kids. It's the one where you look half alien.

This is the cry I have been on the verge of this entire day. So far, I have maintained control. However, I cannot guarantee that I can keep this composure much longer.

Today is Craig's first baseball game.

If you were wanting something a little more earth shattering there, you're going to have to come back another time. Or - keep reading and I'll explain why his first baseball game IS earth shattering for this family of four.

Today is such a monumental day because I think some where deep down inside, I never thought it would happen. There were times when that child was four and five that I wondered if we'd ever be able to do anything "normal" families do.

Yes, we attempted things that normal families do - but so many times, it ended in disaster. Craig's behavior would escalate until the family outing was no longer fun for anyone involved. Sometimes it would be during a simple dinner out at a restaurant. Sometimes it would be while on vacation at the beach. Sometimes we'd be with friends & family. Other times we'd be alone. However, rest assured ... Craig would bring the drama.

Knowing what we know now about his food allergies and what we were feeding him, I know that he simply couldn't help it. That makes me feel like a complete FOOL as his mother. It also makes me feel incredibly sorry for him.

The older he got, the more he was able to tell me what he was feeling. I remember in Kindergarten when he told me that his brain "was just telling [him] to do bad stuff". That's heartbreaking to hear as his mother!

And in reality - he nailed it! Because he was ingesting things that were essentially poison for his body, his brain really WAS malfunctioning. (At this point I'm going to lose some of my readers that don't understand just how much food plays a role in human behavior. That's ok.)

All of his friends started playing t-ball when they were four. Craig would come home and talk about wanting to play baseball and we'd just look at each other. How in the world could we enroll him in baseball when we couldn't even leave him with a sitter safely?

Then came the questions from friends and family about why Craig didn't play organized sports yet. Those were fun to field! (No pun intended.) We heard multiple times about how his dad was a coach and so he HAD to play sports. And yet, living with Craig 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - we knew he wasn't ready. (Granted, we were wondering if he'd ever be ready. But, we just knew he wasn't ready then.)

So, here he is - the end of his second grade year - 8 1/2 years old and we are finally letting the child participate in his first ever organized sporting event: baseball. To say he is thrilled in an understatement. To say we are thrilled is only half true.

You see, we are thrilled. However, we're so much more. After 8 years of searching, we finally have answers and we finally have a son who can participate in the "normal" things of life. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I want this kid to be involved in every sport offered or to fill each of his afternoons with a different lesson. I just wanted him to be able to experience what every little boy seems to yearn for at some point growing up: The American Baseball experience. And knowing that there was a time in his life when we wondered if he'd ever be stable enough to experience it makes us appreciate it all the more.

He may be like his mom and run from the ball his first time up at bat. He may do just like I did and beg to quit tonight after the game. He may hate baseball by the end of the season. But, at the end of the day what we have is a little boy who actually gets to try it instead of a frustrated, angry, irritated son who doesn't understand himself or life around him.

Tonight we do not care if he misses the ball each pitch. We don't care if he drops every pop fly that comes his way. We don't care if he never gets on base or if he throws the ball to the wrong person each time he fields. We just care that God led us to truth which led us to a delightful son who is funny, caring, and incredibly thoughtful. His Word is true when it says that the truth will set you free. That's exactly what has happened for us.

So, tonight I may yell "Go Braves!" and I may scream "Yea Craig!". And I'll mean every bit of both of those regardless of the performance or the score. However, so much more than my outward enthusiasm will be my inward heart which will be overflowing with gratitude to the One who has shown us so much truth and has redeemed a dear little boy's life so that we can enjoy precious moments like first baseball games.

To Him be all glory & honor!

An X-Ray Alternative

2011-03-03T13:48:00.000-06:00

I saw her fall. One minute she was pulling herself along on the wall - her first time roller skating. The next minute she was going down. I could only see her shoulders and head because the walls surrounding the rink were so high. So, when her head slipped below the ridge of where I could see, I knew she'd come back up in tears. She'd already fallen a few other times and landed right on her backside. (She's not like her mama - she doesn't have enough fluff back there for it not to hurt.) So, I knew when she got up, she'd be crying.

So did Rick. That's why he headed her direction to pick her up off the floor. However, by the time he could bring her the 15 feet to where I was sitting her face looked like this:

Yep - that goose egg (with the blueish hue) appeared in less than 30 seconds. One second is wasn't there and then WHAM - it appeared. I was convinced she'd broken her cheekbone or jaw bone or maybe cracked her eye socket.

I could tell she was hurt pretty bad because she kept telling me her head hurt and she wanted to go home. Ugh ... a sickening feeling for a mom. Hate it!

I wanted to take her to the E.R. immediately. However, Rick is nothing if he's not sensible and level headed. (Well, most of the time!) He's had multiple players break bones and/or get concussions so he began looking at her eyes/pupils and drilling her on phones numbers and math problems. He's the one who thought to put ice on it immediately. He's the one who told me not to let her go to sleep. It's good to know somebody was thinking because all I wanted to do was vomit.

We ended up taking her home and watching her closely. Other than the normal complaints you would expect from hitting your face on the floor, she was behaving normal. So, we gave her a little ibuprofen and everyone went to bed. I got up 86 times during the night to check on her and fully expected her to be in my bed at some point, but she actually slept great.

However, the next morning when she got up, it was more swollen and it had begun to turn her eye black. At this point, Rick said it was time to go see the doctor. Well, I had every intention of taking her to the doctor, but when we stopped by our chiropractors office to grab some supplements for Craig that we'd run out of, he offered to take a look at her. Considering we trust this man implicitly, he's a fellow believer, and he always opts for the "less is more" in regards to treatment and my pocket book - I was more than willing to let him give me his opinion before I took off to the clinic.

He did all the normal examinations - checking her pupils, asking her to relay information back to him, pressing around on the area gently to feel what he could. However, he then surprised the hound out of me when he grabbed a tuning fork. He explained that before x-ray machines were invented, that doctors would test for broken bones using a tuning fork.

Here's why/how it works: The doctor slaps the tuning fork against his hand or thigh making it vibrate. He then holds the end of it against the part of the bone believed to be broken. If it is indeed cracked or broken, the tuning fork will vibrate the broken piece causing significant pain. If it is not broken, there is no pain (other than what is already there from the original mishap).

He tested each inch of her cheek bone and even her eye socket and Julie simply looked at him each time he touched her face with the fork. Needless to say, within two minutes we were fairly certain that the girl had not broken any of the bones in her face. He also shared with me that if the cheekbone was broken in two that her face would be sagging on that side (not to mention that she'd be in alot more pain). So - really we were just checking for a hairline fracture or crack. He shared with me that if we had gone to get an x-ray, that hairline fractures usually do not show up for 8-10 days. So, the hospital/clinic would have wanted to do a CT scan of her head to look for breaks/cracks. Can you see where this is going?

I realize the hospital has to protect themselves by making sure that they don't miss a broken bone (especially in a face); however - I ask you ... If her cheekbone had a hairline fracture, what would they have done for her? You can't cast it. You can't wrap it.

Fracture or not fracture - the treatment would have been the same. Ice it. Take it easy. Eat some ice cream. (Okay - maybe the Dr. Mom in me added in that last bit of treatment.)

So, instead of a $1500 bill for an x-ray and doctor attention and then a $3000 bill for a CT scan not to mention whatever else they could add on .... I was able to determine whether or not my daughter had broken her face with a simple (and age old) technique that was no more than the cost of my current copay.

I love me a good deal and I love the lack of radiation in my daughter's face! Now if we could just get her face to quit turning such pretty colors:

How to Kill Strep and Flu Without Antibiotics or Tamiflu

2011-03-01T13:50:00.000-06:00

Each and every day Dave Ramsey and I go pick up my kids from school. Granted, Dave doesn't know that he's along for this ride, but he is. He rants and raves on the radio and I laugh the entire drive over, the entire wait in the pick-up line, and then part of the way home (when the kids let me listen).

I always get tickled at his disclaimer that plays around 3 each afternoon. It says something about how the host of the show (Mr. Ramsey himself) should not be listened to when it comes to finances and that you should seek the advice "of a competent professional". I realize that Dave (I call him by his first name as if I know him personally) has to have a disclaimer to protect himself legally. However, truth be told, I would trust him before I trust any "competent finance professional" for advice. To me, he IS the competent finance professional!

However, he has to protect himself by using a disclaimer for all the nut jobs out there. Therefore, before I move any further in this post:

Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is not intended or implied to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content contained in or made available through this post is for general information only. The author/s of Ivy League make no representation and assume no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information available in this post and you are encouraged to confirm any such information with your physician. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU READ IN THIS POST.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I will share this with you: Yes. It is true. I have killed strep (my own) without an antibiotic and I have shortened my flu duration by what I believe to be half. (And one last disclaimer for the real coo-coo's out there: While I am comfortable using each of these methods on myself and my own sickness, I have never used them on my children and I make no recommendations as to what you do with your own children.)

Travel with me back to 1998. I was a freshman in college and was studying vocal performance. That means I sang from sun up to sun down. That means my mouth was open 24/7. (Yes, I sleep with my mouth open. I'm that kind of attractive.) I caught strep four times that year. This was the beginning of what seemed like a never ending cycle.

I caught it another 6-8 times before I graduated 4 years later. Then, I began a yearly cycle of catching it every single Christmas. This went on even after I started this blog. (2007, 2008)

And every single time I would catch it, they would treat it the same way: antibiotics. They'd slap a prescription on me and away I'd go. However, around 2004 I noticed that every time I had to get on an antibiotic (which was usually only at Christmas when I caught strep) that I then got a yeast infection as well. (I realize that's more information than you wanted, but some woman out there is thanking me for that.) While antibiotics are great for killing the infection inside you they throw off every other part of your body - your stomach (why most people get diarrhea while on antibiotics), your taste (ever noticed that?), your intestines, etc...

It wasn't until 2009 that I learned a way to kill it without the use of antibiotics.

It's called Agrisept. You can google it, but for those looking for a simple answer - it's grapefruit seed extract that works like an anti-fungal medication. It has been proven to kill herpes, influenza, candida, parasites, and yes, even strep.

I would not pretend to know the best way to go about killing strep with Agrisept. However, what worked for me was dropping 5-6 drops into 6 oz of water and then gargling for two or three minutes (spitting out and getting more after 30 seconds). I continued this for 4-5 days and the strep was gone.

As a side note, I would want you to know that if you gargle with Agrisept before going to see a doctor - the Agrisept will throw off the "in house" strep test. It will come back negative and the doctor will just assume you have some other throat fungus. It won't be until they get the test results back from the lab they sent off to that it will show positive.

Also, on one other side note (before I move on to my flu testimony) - I would want you to know that Agrisept is available through one of the websites that my coffee sells through. This blog entry is in no way, shape, or form an attempt to get you to buy Agrisept through me or from me and I am not being compensated for this post. However, in an attempt to be authentic it is important that you know that technically you could buy it on my Asantae website. In all honesty though, many times you can google the city you live in and "agrisept" and find stores or people who sell it locally.

Moving on to the flu ... I believe I shared with you that I caught it about five weeks ago. To answer the question I know is forming in a few minds - no, I did not receive a flu shot this year. I personally think it would be safer to inject myself with rattlesnake venom than with a flu vaccine, but I digress.

I felt it coming on on a Thursday. I got that achy, tired, "something is wrong" feeling. I stopped by Target and grabbed two products that now I would NOT recommend, but they are part of the story (unfortunately). (We'll laugh at my stupidity together.) One was called Cold-Eeze - I got it for the zinc. The other was Emergen-C - got it for the high levels of Vitamin C.

I began taking both of these products that afternoon around 3 p.m. (However, my tongue kept going numb using the Cold-Eeze. I just kept telling myself a numb tongue was better than flu.) That night I had an obligation I had already committed myself to and needed to follow through on and it kept me out from 7 until midnight. (I agree that this was not the smartest move as it lowered my defenses and exposed 4 other people to the flu.)

That night I woke up around 2 a.m. running fever and with chills. It was ON like donkey kong at that point. I emailed our chiropractor and he recommended three KEY things: Vitamin C, Calcium Lactate, and Zinc.

The Vitamin C is obvious - it boosts your immune system. The Zinc has been proven (although controversial) to lessen the severity of flu symptoms. However, the Calcium Lactate was a new one for me.

Apparently, when we have low amounts of calcium in our blood, the white blood cells (the ones fighting sickness) cannot do their job. This is why you get fever. Fever increases the body temperature to heat up the bone thus releasing calcium from the bone. The fever is pulling the calcium out of the bone so that it is available to the white blood cells.

So Friday morning, I began taking Calcium Lactate and Vitamin C every hour on the hour. (The Zinc I threw in the trash can because frankly - I like to be able to feel my tongue. You form your own opinion there. I also threw the Emergen-C in the trash after discovering it contained an artificial sweetener. I switched to plain Vitamin C tablets.) After running fever all night, my fever was gone after 2 hours on the Calcium Lactate. My symptoms (extreme fatigue, achiness, headache, etc...) lasted for 3 days.

Our chiro said that when my body had enough Vitamin C, it would let me know because I would have diarrhea. While this sounded like more of a nuisance than a great "get over the flu" plan, I went with it. However, after taking more than 10,000 milligrams of Vitamin C, I still was not having any stomach problems. So - either my body was extremely low on Vitamin C or I've got abs of steel. (I'll let you draw your own conclusion.)

By Monday morning, I was back at work. Granted, I was still slightly "off" - but able to function normally. And by Tuesday, I was back to my normal self. (whatever that is)

I wish I could say the same for my 3 friends and their kiddo's. They did not get on the Zinc, C, or the Calcium Lactate. The flu took them OUT along with several of their family members and each one was down for 5-6 days. Do you see what you're missing if you and I aren't friends? I'm a giver!

So, how is that different from Tamiflu?

I'm not interested in arguing over which method of treatment you should choose. My mind is made up. However, I would offer two insights into Tamiflu: #1) It is synthetic - chemically produced, man made, and #2) It only lessons the flu by .5 - 1 days (according to their statistical information). My experience with pushing the before mentioned items seemed to lesson mine by at least 3. (Feel free to draw your own conclusion here.)

In summary, what have we learned today? We've learned that I like to sleep with my mouth open and that I'm a giver. However, I hope more than that that you take away a few nuggets of wisdom to use the next time you're feeling a little under the weather.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow I'm going to tell you why you don't need an x-ray if you think your child has broken her face!

Go Ahead! Make My Day!

2011-02-26T13:52:00.000-06:00

A typical Saturday at your house might look like what today has for me. However, today did not FEEL typical to me. Today felt weird. You see, just six short months ago, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did today. In fact, I would never have attempted it.

Track season has started, so Rick was up and gone before the sun even considered making it's debut this morning. Six months ago, I would have waited for him to get home around 7 p.m. and then gone out to run errands. (Because there was no way I was hauling Craig around town waiting for him to erupt or run off.) However, we've come far enough along in our food allergy journey that I locked both monkeys in the back of the minivan and took off this morning.

Our first stop was to a hotel in South Austin. My dad was attending a seminar there and he had something I desperately needed: Craig's Food Journal. (I left it at their house last weekend when we visited.) When we arrived he was in the lobby, so we sat down to visit with him. I was able to visit for 30 minutes while the kids played (almost) quietly on the couches beside us. Six months ago this would have NEVER happened. Craig would have run from the hotel at least 3 times. He would have attempted to climb the pillars at least twice. And I could have counted on him taking at least one part of his clothing off.

Our next stop was to the downtown Whole Foods. Today, not only did he push the buggy for me, but he read food labels and picked out appropriate items on his own. Six months ago he couldn't have walked through the store - he would have run. He would have talked incessantly the entire trip and at some point, he would have stomped his feet and jumped up and down when not given something he wanted. To the average "passer-by", he would have looked like a spoiled brat. However, we haven't changed anything in our discipline techniques. We've simply changed his diet. (Still think every other kid in the public school system needs to be on Ritalin?)

After a morning of shopping and errand running, we arrived back home and everyone napped. I made a gluten-free, egg-free, dye-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free dinner and the kids ate at the table while I sat down on the couch for a moment of silence. (Yes, I realize this a cop out and the lazy mom's approach to a Saturday night. However, save your judgements for church tomorrow; Mama was tired.) When Craig finished his dinner, he raced his plate to the kitchen sink and then made a run for the backdoor. (He had a baseball game to finish.) Right as he was fixing to slide through the door, he turned around, looked right at me and pointed, saying: "Mommy, that was a great dinner".

I looked behind me to make sure he wasn't pointing at someone else. Then, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Also, I searched the house for liquor to see if I'd been drinking. However, upon further investigation I discovered something beautiful: The child was talking to me!

Six months ago I'm not even sure he knew who made him dinner, much less that he could thank me or tell me he enjoyed it. Talk about making his mom's day! :)

Either Drink Your Coke or Take Your Vitamins - But Don't Do Both!

2011-02-24T13:53:00.000-06:00

Wow. That is all I can think. To say I struck a nerve with you with my last post is an understatement! I cannot believe the amount of traffic this blog has gotten in the last 48 hours. I cannot believe the number of times my link to it on Facebook has been reposted on someone else's wall. I am astounded at how many people have contacted me regarding information. To say that people are hungry/interested in this topic is the understatement of the year!

Why are people so hungry for it?

Well, for some I think it's just genuine curiosity. For others, it's their love for my family that made them read and ask questions or make comments. (Thank you for that.) For others though, they're struggling (or their children are struggling) with health issues that seem to be linked to their food intake. And the more our Food & Drug Association adds to our foods, the more these problems will grow.

I'm sure you've seen Super Size Me, Food Inc., and other documentaries that highlight how much our food is being altered. However, as autism, ADHD, and even cancer cases rise, relatively few people are looking at food additives and preservatives as causes. We're "walking for cures" and "running for cures" and raising money at various other fundraisers and while that is all commendable, we're not paying near as much attention to what goes into our food and therefore into our bodies.

And - when we do pay attention to what goes into our body, sometimes we don't understand the chemical reactions that can take place after we ingest something. (This has especially been true in our son!)

For example - we've all heard that sodas are bad for us. If you are health conscious at all, you probably limit yourself to one or two a day (if that). However, did you know that an ingredient in your cola, when mixed with Vitamin C actually produces a known carcinogen that causes cancer? It gets worse. It has now been proven that this same ingredient in your soda causes DNA damage and that there are a number of diseases (including Parkinson's and neurodegenerative diseases) that are tied to DNA damage.

It's called Sodium Benzoate. Wikipedia defines it as "the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide and benzoic acid." It is a preservative that kills fungus and bacteria. Therefore, it is useful in food/beverages so that they have a longer shelf life. However, it is only useful in acidic foods like sodas, salad dressings, pickles, jams, and mouth washes. (They have to use other preservatives in less acidic products.)

Although manufacturers had been using Sodium Benzoate for a century, the FDA finally got enough pressure put on them in the 1990's to "urge" companies not to use it in products containing Ascorbic Acid (another name for Vitamin C). However, in the 2000's, they realized that "urging" hadn't cut it and many companies were still using it. A lawsuit filed in 2006 forced Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other soft-drink makers to reformulate affected beverages. I'll leave you to research the rest on your own, but I think you may be surprised at what they consider "affected" beverages. Let's just say there's a good chance that soda you're sippin' on still has Sodium Benzoate.

So, let's take it a step further. Nobody wants cancer, but what about a kid who's bouncing off the walls? While that's not as serious as cancer, it's serious enough if it's a chemical reaction taking place inside your child. (I am not comparing cancer to hyperactivity. Cancer kills - hyperactivity doesn't. I'm simply stating that this is one other reaction. No hate mail please.) In 2007, the UK's Food Standards Agency discovered that when you combine Sodium Benzoate with certain food colorings, it produced hyper activity in children.

Let's break that down ... You pack your child a "nutritional" cereal bar in their lunchbox. Let's say it's NutriGrain just for the sake of this illustration. Alongside their sandwich and their carrots, you place a sweet little juice box. Unbeknownst to you, you have packed your child a cancer-giving, hyper-activity-inviting lunch. Inside that cereal bar (yes, the NutriGrain one) is Red 40. (Hard to believe, huh?) And inside that juice, there is Sodium Benzoate. (Not all juices contain it - but some that are marketed to children do.) Or maybe it's breakfast. That precious toddler has some Fruity Pebbles and some apple juice. Same results.

Now - as a disclaimer - the FDA has assured everyone (smirk) that the levels of benzene that are released into the body are so low that they are not enough to cause cancer in humans ... just the animals they are tested on. Also - I'm sure that it would comfort you to know that in 2008 the FSA called for a voluntary (did you catch that?) removal of colors. It is interesting to note that they did NOT call for a voluntary removal of sodium benzoate.

So as long as I read food labels I should be safe, right? Sure! As long as you can memorize the multiple names of every food additive. Yes, you read that correctly. I will not attempt to draw conclusions as to why the FDA would allow preservatives and additives to have multiple names, but they do. Sodium Benzoate can be declared on a food label as Sodium Benzoate, E211, and Benzoic Acid. What makes it even harder is that they are constantly changing the names and adding to the list of what Sodium Benzoate can be called on a label.

Are you ready to pull your hair out yet? (Don't bother - just keep drinking the sodas and it will fall out. pahahahha! I missed my calling as a comedian.)

If you'll remember in my last post, I shared with you that there were 267 items on our original NO List (and only 94 on the YES). This is precisely why. Every additive and preservative has multiple names. The food colors/dyes are the worst. Most of them have multiple names and multiple numbers. The Red 40 I mentioned above is the one our son reacts the worst to and it can be labeled as Allura Red AC, Food Red 17, C.I. 16035, or FD&C Red 40.

The last thing I'll point out today is this: In the research I have done (and in what I hope you'll read after you finish this post), I have found that the majority of concern over these additives and preservatives that have been allowed for so long (many of them since the 30's and 40's) has only recently come to light. We are only discovering the effects that these additives have now ... 50, 60, 70 years later. All of the controversy has only recently erupted - within the last 20 years. If we liken this to what happened with cigarettes, we're on the same course. Remember when cigarettes first came on the scene? Good Housekeeping published an article recently about how doctors actually recommended smoking! That sounds ludicrous now given everything we know. However - my question is - will we be saying the same thing about these additives and preservatives in 50 years?