Julie VS The School Nurse

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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?