Its not about how much you eat...

Biblical Foundations for Eating

2008-04-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been quite some time since I have written to you in regards to how healthy eating will impact your life.. I have been doing some soul searching and God has been certainly graceful in showing me its now time to clean out all the junk in my heart with complete forgiveness. I am now on a journey towards healing not only physically but emotionally. I have suffered for over 3 years now with low back pain and tension in my left leg and glute for about a year, and also with IBS and Gluten sensitivity for most my life. It has been a struggle in finding the answer and as I had been searching in every corner God spoke to me and said I just want you to draw near to me. With all this searching it felt as if God closed a door to the obsessive need to be healthy but to appreciate the need to be healthy. I'm not saying I went out and ate bad but I did stop thinking about it as much, worrying about it and being a slave to it. I now feel as though God is saying to me to remember all the things I have taught you and to enjoy your foods, and to not fear what comes your way but to be in self control for what you put in your body but to not fear. He also told me to allow your walk to be abundant in healthy nourishing foods but to not push this on everyone else. If their hearts desire to want to live a healthy life they will see from your life that it is something they want to learn and ask more of from you. This is where my blog comes in. As I have poured out all the amazing information that I have learned it has helped me to share it with you by free will as you choose to learn and grow in your quest to become healthy people.

With all of that said I was reminded about a wonderful book that is written by Jordin Rubin called "The Makers Diet" and his wonderful site called Garden of Life. As he points directly to the bible for instructions on how God calls us to eat has been helpful in discerning what God wants me to eat and what the world wants me to eat. As their are so many new age diets, holistic health approaches and eastern based religions that point to a lifestyle that can become occultic rather than biblical in our ways of eating and finding healing. As I will point out briefly for you based of Jordins book regarding how we are called to eat allow this to resinate in your hearts that this not only benefits you if you believe in God or not. This will greatly impact your health, well being, and life-style. It will protect you from countless diseases and sickness. We are living in a world that is becoming more and more diseased because of our careless efforts to make a meal. As we are called to bless our bodies with whole foods we need to know that we are to treat our bodies as temples and to respect its creator.

The bible points to several chapters to teach you specifically what we are called to eat and how to treat our bodies in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

Deuteronomy 14:2
"for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession."

Exodus 15:26
If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD.. I will put none of these diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. I am the LORD who heals you.

Key lessons from The Makers Diet and Biblical Principles:
1. We are to not eat any foods that are unclean. Animals without cloven hooves and chew the cud are (pigs, horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, bears, horses, squirrels, rodents, and camels). Sea Creatures without fins or scales(crabs, lobsters, shrimp, abalone, clams, catfish, sharks, dolphins (the mammal), whales, sturgeon, and a host of others)

This can also refer to today's Processed foods that are not from Gods creation. Such as Sugar, Flours, Meats with Antibiotics, Hormones, artificial coloring and flavoring, pasteurized, artificially sweetened, hydrogenized, homoginized, modified and much much more.

You can refer to more unclean foods here for a brake down of the foods we are not to eat as it touches the verses in the bible.

2. We are to consume whole foods, which in all reality is foods that are not processed and are in original form such as Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Herbs, Food Based supplementation of Vitamins, Minerals, and Oils.

3. We can also find hygiene principals that bring medicine to our bodies. Which keeps us free from disease and germs which will free us from any infliction of Disease or Sickness. By proper cleaning of the hands, body, purifying clothing, proper surgical treatments and the disposal of human waste.
-This also plays into the God Breathed word as he fills you up with his word our body will receive healing to all parts of our flesh. This means staying in the word, obeying the word, and confessing all our sins so that we can be made new and be cleansed of all impurities.

4. We are to stay healthy by exercising regularly(Not obsessively) and body therapies such as deep breathing, hydrotherapy(the use of water therapy) for soothings pains and treating diseases.

5. To reduce toxins in our bodies by the foods we eats, the water we drink, the skin care products, cosmetics, shampoos, toothpaste and any other daily products. You can significantly reduce infections, allergy attacks, and other negative health conditions by cleansing your body of toxins, pollutants, allergens, and disease-causing germs.

6. To find value and purpose in life through the will of the LORD as he guides us through life with his endless love and care for our lives and the plans he has for us.

This will impact your life in ways emotionally, physically, and spiritually. God blessed us with an abundant earth filled with many wonderful foods. Living the easy life most always has its draw backs and you will not live life to the fullest as we are called to do.

As we may inflict disease, sickness or pain we are to confess to God our sins and Jesus will cleanse us with his blood. Psalm 103:3 "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases". As we are obedient and turn from our old ways we will live abundantly emotionally, physically and spiritually and have confessed that our ways of eating were certainly not favorable to God he will bless you with healing. If you face life with many issues such as sickness, pain or disease it may be time to go to the LORD and allow him to search your heart for the things that may be hindering you from healing. He does not want us to live life with Prescription drugs to get us through our days, or TV dinners, fast food, processed meals, snacks, sodas, alcohol, candy, pastrys, pizza, fried meats and foods, and much more. Eating unhealthy contributes to this disease process and thereby the reason for all the chronic diseases manifesting themselves in America are seen today. As you draw near to him he will teach you and fill you with knowledge and be free from the ways of the world.

Now you may say didnt Jesus abolish old testiment laws which included the ways we are to eat? The food laws are natural laws relating to maintaining good health. They are not spiritual in substance and may not even exclude one from obtaining salvation, but disregard for them will certainly result in degraded health. How do you do away with a natural health law? Why would you even want to? No natural law has ever been done away including the food laws. The food laws were given for our physical well being and our health, they are for us but not for our salvation.

We can also find that most sickness and diseases have a spiritual root and can be addressed as we confess them to the LORD. When we are under continual stress due to ours sins like fear, anger, anxiety, and worry our bodies produce a chemical called cortisol a vital hormone that is often referred to as the "stress hormone" as it is involved in the response to stress. It increases blood pressure, blood sugar levels and has an immunosuppressive action that ultimately damage our tissues, organs, cells etc and eventually manifest in the diseases we see now days. If you are like me and want to find peace in knowing you can be healed you can find many tools online and in the books stores to reveal the areas that may be your road block. I have found many answers through a wonderful ministry called Life Application Ministries where they teach you ways to receive the cleansing of our sins and to begin to live in peace, patience, love, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and joy which then brings healing to our bodies. As we obey the word our bodies will begin to manifest healing. You can also find many books regarding your mind body connection at the Be In Health website.

Jeremiah 33:6 - Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

Jeremiah 33:8
I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.

This is something that takes time and as we begin to allow the word of theLORD to resignate in our hearts will bring health and healing to every part of our body.

I am sure you can relate when we are on vacation and we begin to relax our bodies begin to feel at peace. If you are like me and when under stress you feel it in your muscles or stomach. But when you find complete peace your body will actually let go of all the tension being stored up. This is just what God does as well when we rest in his perfect peace. God just wants us to draw near to him and he will teach us the wonders of his love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion and joy. These would definately being the cure to all diseases. They say that laughter brings healing to the body.

I hope that this can bring some insight to your life as you begin to challenge your old ways. We are most strong when we are weak and submit to our LORD because then we are not stuck in our ways with stubborn beliefs.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you all the wonderful ways to live life abundantly. Please share with me your stories and if I can guide you in any way please comment me.

Thank you

Erinn

References:
Our Daily Bread- By Jean Lisenby
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/144/story_14464_1.html
Eating from the Bible- By Jordin Rubin
http://ourfathersword.org/odbfoods.htm
Life Application Ministries- By Linda Lange
A Matter of the Mind-spiral bound
www.lifeapplicationministries.org

Are your Toiletries causing you harm!

2008-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

Its time to take a stand and put our money towards a better more healthy world. As consumers we use a wide variety of products on a day to day basis that do us more harm than good. Some of the many commonly used products are filled with toxic chemicals that harm our bodies. Its time to begin to understand and read our labels. Not only is it important to understand and read our food labels but it is just as important to read the labels on our toiletries. There are thousands of products out there that claim to have that magic ingredient to wipe away the years, cure your thining hair, put a stop to bodily order and much much more. Do you feel like you can't survive without your products. Have you ever stopped to think about what a day would be like if you didnt have your miracle eye cream, or volmuizing hair products. Can we actually live without it.

Is the manufacturer making you in slave to their ingredients. It has come to my attention over the past few years that with one magic potion you will need another to support that one and the domino affect begins. Can we actually cure our acne naturally, can I actually still keep my glowing color without using harmful shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and much much more.

Can I have smooth radiant skin without one harmful man made product? Can I maintain my perspiration without using Aluminum filled deodarants. Can I clean my teeth with natural ingredients and without bleech. Can I have radiant studio makeup without clogging my pores? The answer is yes. Now this may seem overwhelming becuase like everyone else the harmful products always seem more effective and easy than the natural but in all reality that is just a lie that God didnt put the natural elements on this earth to keep us thriving. Yes every substance, chemical, and material all comes from the earth but their is a difference when Man takes those and processes them to make them stable for years without going bad. Thats the draw back.

Things die, products go to waste, but if we use them right we can be healthy humans free of harmful diseases and illnesses.. This will then bring devine health.. For more infomation on more healthy products for your lifestyle refer to my healthy living links. Did you know that what you put on your skin is readily absorbed into your body? Take a look at this list of harmful ingredients that are in our toiletries. Compare them to yours. Get informed and being to research some more healthy alternatives. You can have healthy skin, hair and vibrant beauty naturally. On my healthy living links page I list a number of natural body care websites that sell wonderful hair products, makeup, body care, and lotions. Not too mention if you give sometime to understanding and learning about Essential Oils you can make your moisturizers, and body care specifical designed for your needs. Many of the chemicals in cosmetics are quite toxic. If you are a woman and are not aware of this important issue yet, please focus more attention on the chemicals you put on your body. They can have a major influence on your health. The growing list of synthetic ingredients manufacturers add to their products are turning the most innocent-looking shampoos and moisturizers into cocktails of toxins that could cause cancer over years of sustained use.

To view a list of some harmful ingredients to get familiar of the effects on our bodies please click here. Also more harmful ingredients list. To search your products ingredients and to join in on a network that reviews for cosmetically safe ingredients take a look at Skin Deep. I wonder what our government is doing about this? You can help by getting involved in protecting our bodies for safer ingredients.

These synthetic ingredients are inexpensive, stable and have a long shelf-life. Manufacturers love them, but although the majority of products appear safe in the short run the results from long-term use could be deadly. Modern cosmetics contain a host of dubious ingredients that would be more at home in a test tube than on our faces. Coal tar colors, phenylenediamine, benzene, even formaldehyde, are just a few of the synthetic chemicals commonly included in shampoos, skin creams and blushes - toxins which are absorbed into your skin with every use Compared to the toxins found in our air, soil and waterways, cosmetics seem a trivial pursuit to many environmental health and consumer advocacy groups. But many of the same poisons that pollute our environment, from dioxins to petrochemicals, can be found in the jars and bottles that line our bathroom shelves.

It is too early to know with certainty how serious the long-term impact could be on health, but warns that hormone-disrupting chemicals may lurk in cosmetics which could lower immunity to disease and cause neurological and reproductive damage. 'Many of these same ingredients have been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals,' she said. 'At best, a visit to your neighborhood cosmetic counter could result in allergies, irritations and sensitivities.

It's evident today that women seem to be predisposed to far more autoimmune disorders than men. Other problems like thyroid disease and fibromyalgia are also far more common in women. Perhaps one of the major contributing factors is the fact that women tend to use cosmetics and men don't.

To also understand our environment and the way it was in biblical times compared to today of how important our oxygen is click here.

Ladies its time to treat our bodies well. Lets all come together to find products that not only will we like but will treat with care so we are not setting our self up for disease and illness later in life. Here is a site who has compiled a list of all companies that are certified organic. This is a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Make sure your products are CSC certified..

References:
Dr. John Muntz-The Power of Oxygen
http://www.powerofoxygen.com/MedicalExpertsSay.html
Mercola Article about Makeup holds hidden danger of cancer
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/04/24/makeup-cancer.aspx
Articles:
http://www.bestorganicsforhealth.com/site/1357438/page/853394
http://antiagingchoices.com/harmful_ingredients/toxic_ingredients.htm
http://www.thinkandheal.com/toxic_ingredients.html
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

Benefits of Probiotics for your HEALTH

2008-02-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I would share how amazing Probiotics have been for me. It seems to be getting more and more popular for people to consume Probiotics in many different forms to enable a healthy balance in our stomachs and body. With the certain Allergies and never ending bathroom issues, Probiotics seemed to be the end all answer after getting on a restricted diet. It sounds scary to say you’re eating bacteria because the media and consumers are making everyone so scared about all the millions of bacteria everywhere people are trying to be anti by killing them off such as Hand Washes, Body washes, wipes, you name it. But in fact our body needs to be in contact with good and bad bacteria to be able to build up the immunity to them so we don't become sick. Bacteria are necessary to keep your body, especially your immune system, healthy. They help break down food into a form that can be absorbed through the intestines and used by the body. They also detoxify and cleanse the entire intestinal tract by breaking down and cleaning waste material off the walls of the intestines so that nutrients can be absorbed more easily and waste can pass through more efficiently.
Probiotics are a natural defense against disease because they inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and also boost your immune system’s resistance to infections and diseases. They have been shown to play an important role in preventing many serious chronic illnesses in addition to common ailments. These conditions include acne, allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue, eczema, fibromyalgia, gum disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, urinary tract infections, ulcers, and yeast infections. New evidence indicates that Probiotics may also help to fight breast and colon cancer.
Researchers are very excited about the promising results they are observing involving the effects of Probiotics on autoimmune diseases such as lupus, Graves’ disease, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease(Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis), rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.”We know that Probiotics are strong regulators of regulatory immune responses. That’s why they hold so much promise for preventing and treating autoimmunity”, says Dr. Gary Huffnagle, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center and author of The Probiotics Revolution.
With serious side effects in result of treatments for inflammation and abnormal immune responses, Probiotics have been shown to actually send signals to the immune system that reduce destructive overreactions such as inflammation, are considered safe to take on a long term basis and have many other positive effects on the body.

If you suffer from allergies, you can now understand that your uncomfortable allergic responses are the result of your overactive immune system attacking harmless substances such as dust, cat dander, peanuts, etc. current research also shows that Probiotics may help prevent and fight asthma.
You already have good germs in your body; you actually have more bacteria cells in your body than you do human cells by 20 times. The bacteria cells are just much smaller than many of our human cells. Bacteria are small, single-celled organisms, certain strains of which are packaged in pill or food form and consumed for health benefits. Stress, illness and antibiotics can all throw this system out of whack, but Probiotics can help to restore balance. There are more than 400 types of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract. Most of these bacteria are not harmful. However, gastrointestinal tract function may be affected when the delicate balance between "bad" bacteria far outnumber the good. Within your bowel there are about 4lbs of bacteria.
Information about the benefits of Probiotics should not come as news to most cultures. The original Greek meaning of the term “Probiotic” means “Promoting Life”. Unlike Antibiotics which are used to kill bacteria. Probiotics have been used as folk remedy for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in the form of certain foods such as yogurt. History has shown that the medical use of Probiotics foods, such as cultured dairy products like yogurt or fermented vegetables, goes back to ancient times. In modern times, clinical studies indicate that Probiotic foods can help to improve gastrointestinal health, protect against infection and enhance immunity. The American diet is much lower in Probiotic food than European and Japanese diets. As Beneficial Bacteria is also found in fermented foods that have active cultures such as yogurt(not frozen kinds), some types of aged cheese(not processed cheese), keifer, kimbucha, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, tempeh, and umeboshi plums. Some of these foods, however, may not have any live cultures of bacteria due to them being heated to high temperatures, pasteurized, or combined with preservatives.

When you were born, you received a healthy dose of Probiotics from your mother through her birth canal and from her breast milk (unless you had a cesarean birth and were not breast fed). In times before chemical agriculture, we used to get beneficial bacteria from the foods we ate that were grown in healthy soils “Prebiotic” (meaning soil alive with bacteria). Today many crops are grown in soils that have been sterilized by chlorinated water and agriculture chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Our foods are also often pasteurized to kill bacteria and coated with preservatives to inhibit growth of bacteria, so there really isn’t much in the way of bacteria on them by the time we eat them.

Beneficial bacteria can be found in many different forms such as powders, liquids, tablets, capsules, and chewable wafers. Keep in mind that if you are taking probiotics for a specific purpose such as after taking antibiotics or for a specific illness, certain strains of bacteria might be more beneficial than others. Probiotics are available over the counter, so you don’t need a prescription to take them. Taking probiotics when your body doesn’t actually need them won’t cause you any harm. They are usually refrigerated to help preserve potency. Some are considered shelf stable without refrigeration but be wary of any probiotic supplements that claim no refrigeration is needed. Liquid Products are generally considered the least stable and although tablet forms may be convenient, they are not ideal because the manufacturing process usually requires heat and compression which can injure the bacterial cell walls. Some really good qualities may mean you need to go to lengths to find them because your everyday grocery store brand may not be the best quality so you confirm the purity (does the dose contain any ineffective or contaminating bacteria?) and the amount of research conducted on a particular supplement’s benefits.

Do I really need to take Probiotics? Well, while there are probably a few fortunate people out there who are able to maintain a healthy population of bacteria in their bodies (because they live lives free from stress, environmental toxins and extremely healthy diets) most of us could use some. Modern day living includes many threats to your friendly bacteria that include: stress, chlorinated drinking water, fluoride, preservatives, processed foods, coffee, refined sugars (which pathogenic bacteria thrive on), oral contraceptives, and of course Antibiotics. Even if you don’t take antibiotics, you still may be getting a nice dose of them if you eat NON Organic, Non Grass fed animal products. Most of the 35 million pounds of antibiotics produced in the US each year are routinely given to cattle, pigs, and poultry to prevent diseases that result from their overcrowded, stressful living conditions (when these antibiotics exit their bodies, they also enter our soils and water ways). Also without proper nourishment they will just pass right through you. Eating the right kinds of foods and drinking pure chlorine free and fluoride-free water you can help aide in the proper digestion and absorption.

The key is to maintain a healthy balanced colon within our Guts. We need a ratio of about 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria maintained. Dr. Robert Chamberlin March believes that maintaining this critical ratio is the single most important thing we can do to ensure good health and longevity. “Up to 90% of all human illness and disease can be traced back to an unhealthy colon!” With all the processed foods, sugars, glutens natural and un-natural we are feeding the bad guys causing a bad bacterial overgrowth and the ratio is reversing in which we then see our bodies not working right. It seems that any bacteria feed off of something so to understand it Good Bacteria feeds of Vegetables, Fruits, and complex carbs and Bad bacteria feeds off of refined sugar and refined processed carbs. When you lack a healthy population of friendly bacteria in your intestines, there tends to be an over growth of yeast, fungi, parasites, and pathogens (potentially harmful strains of bacteria) that can harm other organ systems. Famous immunologist and Nobel Laureate named Ilya Mechnikov has stated “Death begins in the colon”. Keeping the bacteria in check is so important because they can not only cause constipation, diarrhea, and intestinal putrefaction, but can also cause infections, liver damage, cancer, heart and circulatory problems as well as diabetes. A lack of good bacteria can also affect nutrient absorption. Since bacteria do not have teeth, they produce vital enzymes that break down nutrients so your body can absorb them. You can consume the best nutrients in the world but if your body cannot digest and assimilate them they are wasted.

If you frequently feel tired, have “brain fog”, crave sugar and carbohydrates or have recurrent candida or yeast infections, these may be symptoms of an intestinal imbalance. Other symptoms may include inability to lose weight, fatigue, joint pain and stiffness, frequent constipation, diarrhea, bad breath, frequent colds, acne, eczema, recurrent candida or yeast infections. Cold sores have been linked to low levels of friendly bacteria.
With regular supplementation of Probiotics, a good multivitamin and a healthy diet this will help to lower the harmful microbes in our gut. They will also increase resistance to disease and maintain a strong state of health.

Some good sources of vital Probiotics are:

In-Liven Probiotic Super Food http://www.healthylifeprobiotics.com/
Phone 619-322-6283
-(With 22 years of research and development by Czerral Wheeler a world renowned expert on probiotics).
Bio-K Plus - http://www.biokplus.com/
Ethical Nutrients- http://www.ethicalnutrients.com/
Jarrow-Dophilus – http://www.jarrow.com/
Primal Defense – http://www.gardenoflife.com/
Keifer sold in stores as well as the internet:
-Make sure to watch out for added Sugars and Cane Juice in the fruity flavors. http://www.lifeway.net/
http://www.mercola.com/forms/kefir.htm

Probiotic Capsules or supplements:
http://www.vsl3.com/VSL3/default.asp http://liquidprobiotic.com/ http://www.altcancer.com/microflora.htm

Fermented Foods:
As some may be too sensitive to dairy or and cultured yogurts you may find fermented vegetables just as beneficial.
http://www.pecanbread.com/new/fermented1.html
http://www.healingcrow.com/ferfun/ferfun.html
http://stores.commonhealthproducts.org/Detail.bok?no=12
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5342.html

Information about the difference between certain cultured dairy foods @ http://www.healingcrow.com/ferfun/conspiracy/conspiracy.html

How to make the Yogurt:
Many of you may have to remain dairy free like myself so I have found that Goats Milk (Found at Trader Joes or Local Health food stores)offers all the benefits as you would culture your milk into yogurt by making it at home with a dairy free starter so that you can benefit from Probiotics without the Casein that some are allergic too in dairy. Plus if you make it your own your free from the pasteurization and hormones. The process of this yogurt came from the SCD diet in which it is very beneficial for those who are having serious dietary issues and not only need the beneficial bacteria but also need to starve the system to promote die off of the bad guys through a Specific Carbohydrate diet(Illegal Foods List). If you can handle the dairy you can find a variety of cultured dairy at your health food store or above.
Introducing the Yougrt
If you decide to make your own yogurt be sure to only introduce 1/8tsp at a time. Die off will occur so you will experience detox/sick type symptoms for several days if it’s too much to handle take a brake and introduce the following day. This is beneficial as the die off will stop and you will be able to continue this process as you get better. You won’t feel symptoms till hours later so trust that the small amount is good and just wait. Stay away from teas and hot drinks as it increases the symptoms along with starchy sugary foods. I would suggest buying the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" as they explain the key benefits to this yogurt in your path to healing.
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/yoghurt/yog_pict_guide.htm
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N25AGO http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/yoghurt/milk.htm

I will be updating this to provide more information. I hope that this helps at all. Thanks for stopping by as I may get motivated to write more. Please check out this Food Symptom Matrix for any allergies you may have (Just register then you can access the link) http://www.foodintol.com/matrix.asp

For Allergy tests please refer to my article “Healing your Gut Gluten, & Sugar Free” and consider getting an Allergy Test.

References:
By Lisa Mosing, MS, RD, FADA, Special to LifeScript: http://www.lifescript.com/channels/food_nutrition/supplements/benefits_of_probiotics.asp
Delicious Organics: http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/fermentedfoods.htm
Food Product Design: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/0300de.html
San Diego Natural Guide “Why Should you eat Germs with your Breakfast”

Healing your Gut Gluten & Sugar Free

2008-02-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would share with everyone out there the journey of becoming Gluten Free & Sugar free. It’s not like I woke up one day and said hey I'm going to try this. It was a growing process. It took months to even figure out this is something I absolutely had to do. It’s not easy having digestive issues. I didn't even know that the specific foods such as Gluten and Sugar were what always made me feel bad. It was more of theory that all foods or an abundance of foods where the cause and I should just eat less. It was a question I did want answers to. I was always on the hunt for the right diet, the perfect one that was just going to be easy and that I didn't feel bloated or sick all the time. I just wanted to be able to eat and feel fine. I didn't know it was not how much I eat but it was what I ate. So day after day I continued to make excuses and justifications for what I could eat as a reward for my hard work. Food to me always equaled a reward. I mean don't we all do this in a way? It’s been a hard day or a really amazing day and what do we think? Let’s go out to eat, or let’s get that ice cream or let’s go get that triple chocolate late with whip cream and all the rest. It’s a reward system. Then I ask do we always feel good after? Well, for me no I felt bloated and really tired. On top of that I had the worst indigestion afterwards. Wow could this be my reality for the rest of my life anytime I go out to eat? So after learning through my Mom that I needed to get an allergy test which took some tug-a-war to even want to get the tests done. I went to so many Dr Appointments and even had them scope me to tell me nothing is wrong. But why do I always feel this way and why can't I go to the bathroom? No answers. To be honest I don't think they know the answer and they eat that way too. So after learning that my mom had been developing food allergies and she had to begin to eliminate foods to determine why she was feeling so sick all the time I came forth and admitted that I have bad digestion too. It was so frustrating having the feeling like I am full all the time because I barely went to the bathroom. But I loved all those foods so much. It was an addiction. Once I started to learn how to read my labels and buy the foods I knew would not make me sick I began to feel a lot better. It wasn’t instant that I began to have a strong digestive system. It took months. I had to then come to terms that I could never be free of all those toxins until I cleanse my body of them. I tried to do just 2 or 3 day ones but never seemed to help. I finally got the courage to do an 8 day cleanse eating strictly vegetables, salad oils & herbs a special shake mix that provided all my vitamins and minerals to get me through my days. It was surprising. It was easy. I felt full all day long and I had amazing results. I dropped a lot of excess weight and began to start seeing improvement. Then after I began to get back into the normal routine I started to see that I can eat what I want as long as its Gluten Free. Then after tackling that big task my next task was my acne. It was months before my wedding and what Bride wants to have acne on their big day. So I began to see that I had to cut out the sugar and dairy(well at least the kind thats pasturized and full of antibiotics) to rebuild my gut. I immediately started to load my system with healthy flora (Probiotics). At first it was Keifer from the health food store, and then it was Probiotic pills and back to Keifer. Then discovering I could make my own yogurt from Goats milk without all the additives and pasteurized milk they used eliminating the Casein that is the part that most are allergic too from Goats Milk. Since I wanted to be free of processed dairy foods it took some discovery to find the right balance of Micro-flora that was not from Cows milk. So my Mom got me a yogurt maker and the starter to make my own yogurt from Goats Milk. It’s probably the most inexpensive thing I could do and I can make as much as I want. The key was how much I should eat at first because this stuff is powerful. Almost 3billion living healthy bacteria in 1/8tsp. Isn’t that amazing. They will flood your system clearing out all the bad bacteria that your body has. It will begin to detox your system and colon as they are introduced it to your system. It took about 4 days before I felt good and strong enough. The reason I chose to eliminate the sugar as well is because if I continue to introduce good healthy bacteria into my system and still eat sugar I will keep feeding the bad bacteria. This can then cause bacteria overgrowth. Some of the symptoms that come from the overgrowth are nausea, bloating, vomiting and diarrhea. If food is not digested properly, it can cause acid reflux, yeast overgrowth, or fermentation in the stomach. Yeast and various bad bacteria can produce byproducts are foul-smelling and trigger bad breath. As the percentage of "Good bacteria" vs. "Bad Bacteria" become more common with the types of foods our society eats we can easily through our systems off balance. In a colon that has a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria, there are over 400 separate species of friendly microbes. That's literally billions of bacteria per square centimeter, all working to keep your body strong and healthy.

Even though you can be 100% Gluten free there are still a lot of grains out there that are high in starch so you may want to limit them as much as possible because you could see a lot of bloating. Its tricky to understand Gluten but if we stick with whole grains and not the processed ones we are doing our selves a favor. Though there still are many people out there that cannot brake down the proteins on the grain leaving them to take that out of their diet. As grains have been around forever the way they were cultivated and used for foods was much different than todays grains so we just have to be careful. Gluten or other wise known as Starch tends to activate the fermentation process in our guts which can also not help the overgrowth. A simple diet that eliminates the starch is called the specific carbohydrate diet or "SCD". You can refer to the allowed foods in that category. Sometimes eliminating only the Gluten could not be the answer for you if you have serious bowel disorders. This has been a success for children with Autism because a lot of their behaviors come from the foods they eat and this has helped them to overcome and recover even though there are lots of links towards children with Autism this can be a start to recovery. They have found that some grains still feed the overgrowth and have also tested that honey and fruit are the only safe sugars.

So now after months of eating my yogurt, staying about 95% sugar free, 99% gluten Free and 75% starch free(rices, and Non Gluten Grains) I am seeing such a difference. It’s amazing that just a little motivation and research you can heal yourself. I found that no Dr. prescribed me the foods and supplements that I needed other than myself. We know our bodies better than anyone else and no matter what a Dr tells you to do you will eventually develop your own system after seeing what works and doesn’t work. So listen to your body. Do your research. Talk to your friends who take care of their bodies and be optimistic. Don't just do everything they do because it may not be the answer for you. Just keep an open mind and eventually you will find the right answers. With the love of God I would of never been guided the way I was. He provided healing with all the answers right there in front of me. It took a lot of trial and error. It’s not always going to be peachy. Of course we get sick and we do have indigestion but if it’s rare then we know we are doing something right. You will also notice that if you treat your body the way it needs to be treated you will get health in return; a strong immune system, fast metabolism and lots of energy; The way God intended right? If you feel the opposite it’s time to start figuring out what it is that’s causing you so much struggle and drag. Please check out some of my recipes that I have added to my blog for a Gluten free lifestyle. You can substitute where needed if you cannot have a certain ingredients and where it calls for sugar I also noted that you can substitute with honey as well where you can substitute for other forms of milk.

Here are some tips on avoiding gluten:

Avoid cereals, breads or other grain products that include wheat, rye, barley or oats. This includes white or whole-wheat flour (including cookies, crackers, cakes and most other baked goods), semolina, couscous, bread crumbs, most pastas and malt.
Avoid processed cheese, cheese mixes, low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese or sour cream.
Avoid any dairy products, such as yogurt or ice cream, which contain fillers or additives.
Avoid canned soups or soup mixes.
Avoid creamed vegetables.
Avoid products that contain modified food starch, food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, stabilizers or fat replacers or substitutes.
Avoid prepared or processed meats.
Avoid beer, gin and whiskey.
Avoid flavored coffee, malted milk or herbal tea with malted barley.

Look for products marked "gluten-free." As more attention is being given to this disease, more products are becoming available.

Foods that do not contain gluten include products made with soybean or tapioca flours, rice, corn, buckwheat or potatoes. Other gluten-free foods include nuts; fresh fish, meat or poultry; fresh, frozen or canned vegetables without sauces; wine; and plain, natural cheeses and yogurt.
Current evidence suggests up to 2 ounces of oats each day may be tolerated well by people with celiac disease.

If symptoms are not helped by restricting gluten or if the inflammation in the intestine is severe, your health care professional may prescribe corticosteroids, medication that can reduce inflammation. I also have links to a natural option for reducing inflammation on my Healthy Living Links page.

Here is a great article all about reducing inflammation:

http://www.womentowomen.com/inflammation/naturalantiinflammatories.aspxp

Please refer to my other article at the Healthy Living Links page for resources for supplements such as Omega 3 fish oils, MultiVitamins and Minerals.

10 Suggestions to becoming healthy:
1. Be honest with your symptoms
3. Stop any antibiotics if possible or NSAIDs.
2. Try to talk with your Dr about a healthy lifestyle
3. Get a Food Allergy Tests Done for Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Eggs, & Yeast. Food Symptom Matrix
4. Do a cleanse to get the bad toxins and foods out of your body
5. Flood your system with a Probiotic (Yogurt, Keifer, Probiotic Pills)
6. After a complete cleanse eliminate any foods that you have an allergy to.
7. Journal your symptoms good or bad
8. Try to begin introducing slowly so you can determine what your body likes and doesn’t. After a cleanse you want to try and stick with simple foods and slowly introduce new things and stay with it for a few days. If you have a bad symptom stop and journal it.
9. Stick to the new diet. Stay strong when eating out and with friends so you won't cheat.
10. Realize there are some withdrawals and run the course and be proud of your new life.

References:
Celiac Disease (Non-Tropical Sprue): http://www.everydayhealth.com/
Ginger Nash, N.D., naturopathic physician in New Haven, Conn: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_3_35/ai_n9775577
Micro Flora Restore http://www.altcancer.com/microflora.htm

My Recipie Finds

2008-02-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

My Favorite Sites for Grain Free recipies.
http://www.pecanbread.com/new/recipes1.html
http://www.pecanbread.com/holidayideas.html
http://www.scdrecipe.com/recipes-pie/dans-awesome-pie-crust/

Substitutions
These are all Gluten Free and some call for Sugar where you can replace with honey. With any recipie that calls for water and sugar honey would be enough and you dont need to add any water unless you are sauteeing.
For where it calls for Milk you can replace with equal parts with Rice Milk or Almond Milk. Be careful to read the ingredients so that the Rice or Almond Milk does not have added sugar and flour. If it says it has 2g of sugar doesnt mean that they actually added sugar because rice has natural sugar in it. Almond on the other had is not sweet and they tend to sweeten them so read the labels..

Good Morning Greens Smoothie

Yield: 6 servings
1 granny smith apple, washed, cored but with skin
4-5 stalks celery, ends & tips removed, use leaves2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
½ of a large Haas avocado
½ bunch cilantro or parsley (depending on your preference) stems removed
3-4 cups filtered water
Chop vegetables into 1 inch pieces for easy blending. Fill blender with
3-4 cupsfiltered water (more or less water depending on how thick you desire yourshake). Add all ingredients into blender. Puree till smooth or desired consistency.* You can also add the juice from one half of a lemon or lime and even ¼ tsp seasalt and/or cayenne pepper.Back

Granola & Snacks

P’nutty Granola

Ingredients:
4 Cups Rolled Oats
1 Cup chopped Almonds, cashews or Peanuts
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 Almond Flour
1/2 Cup Raisins
1 cup dried fruit (pineapples, apples, figs, bananas, dates etc.)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 sunflower seeds
1 cup large flake dried coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
In a sauce pan thoroughly heat peanut butter & honey. Remove from heat and stir cinnamon and vanilla. Combine oats almonds, almond flour, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds and place this dry mixture in a large, shallow roasting pan or on cookie sheets. Pour warm peanut butter mixture over these dry ingredients and stir until coated. Spread mixture evenly about the pan. Bake at 300°F for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned stirring occasionally. Add the dried fruits and coconut after baking is complete. To dry, spread the mixture on trays and dehydrate over night. When cooled store granola in an air tight container. Makes about 10 cups. To make a "trail mix' or 'gorp" simply add carob chips or chocolate chips and additional dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.

Nonnies Great Granola

Ingredients:
4 Cups Rolled Oats
1/2 cup honey
2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup almonds or walnuts chopped
1/2 cup almond flour or rice flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup Oil (Preferably Unrefined extra virgin coconut oil)
1 tsp salt

After dehydrating ingredients add:
1 cup raisins
1/2 Dates
1/2 dried pineapples
1/2 dried apples
or any other combination of dried fruit.

Directions:
Mix the first group of ingredients together in a large bowl and spread onto teflex, kitchen parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Dehydrate at 145°F (approx 3 hours) until crunchy. Add the second group of ingredients. Serve with milk or yogurt if you can eat dairy or eat like cereal with rice or almond milk or just eat plain.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

1 1/2 cups (210g)Almond or Rice flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (1/4 L) pumpkin purée*
1/2 cup (1 dL) olive oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (1 dL) chopped walnuts

* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Or you can use Pumpkin Puree in a can(they have the organic kind at Trader Joes). Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, honey, and baking soda.
2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Almond flour takes loner than 60 mins so just poke and keep cooking. It will be more moist but it tastes delicious. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Roasted Zucchini
PREP: 15 minutes
ROAST: 20 minutes
OVEN: 425°F
MAKES: 4 servings
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon minced)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 6 cups)

1. In a small saucepan, cook garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Stir in rosemary, pepper, and kosher salt.
2. Place zucchini in a 13x9x2 baking pan; add oil mixture. Toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, in a 425°F oven about 20 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring once.

Rice Conversations (1 part rice 2 parts water or liquid (Broth, Milk etc)
Sauté recipes I do the sauté while the rice is starting to cook and drop my finished sauté mix into rice cooker and allow it to cook together.
If it calls for Instant Rice you can always use your rice cooker to cook it or you can modify recipe and add all ingredients after any Sauté recommendations

Spring Herb Rice
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups water
1 cup short-grain rice
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh herbs (such as basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, verbena, and/or lemon thyme)
1 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan bring water to boiling; stir in the uncooked rice. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the saucepan from heat; let rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes. (You can also cook your rice in the rice cooker until soft then sauté)
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook and stir onion in hot oil and butter or margarine over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add celery, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute more or until vegetables are tender. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in cooked rice, fresh herbs, and rosemary just until combined.
Servings
Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Spanish Rice
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup plain tomato sauce*
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic *
• 1/4 of a medium onion*
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)
Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the fresh garlic and onion. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.
Add in broth and tomato sauce (Slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!) Add in the parsley if you're using it. Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.
*If you don't have fresh garlic or onions on hand you can use the equivalent in powder form. Do not sauté the powder, just skip that step and add the garlic powder and/or onion powder when you add the liquids. If you don't have tomato sauce you can use unseasoned stewed tomatoes, or canned diced tomatoes with their liquid.
Optional Seasonings in Red***
Sauté onion, celery, pepper, and garlic in oil. Add chili powder and cumin. When fragrant, add tomatoes, salt, oregano, and pepper. When tomatoes are cooked through, stir in the rice.

Rice Cooker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. uncooked rice
1 lb. shrimp or crawfish
1 stick butter, melted
1 lg. onion
1 c. bell pepper
3 ribs celery
2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
2 cans beef broth
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Accent

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the rice cooker and cook on regular cycle.

Spinach Rice with TunaIngredients:
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 Tbs. onion flakes
• 7 ounces canned oil-packed tuna, drained with oil reserved
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 10 ounces creamed spinach, thawed if frozen (Recipe included)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Directions:

Spray rice cooker pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add water, rice, onion flakes and reserved tuna oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, or until rice cooker shuts off. Gently stir in tuna, lemon zest and spinach. Cover and allow to stand 10 minutes more before serving sprinkled with cheese.

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. sour cream - can be low-fat
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. onion, minced
1/4 c. water
20 oz. frozen spinach, chopped
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan on Med-Low heat. Stir in flour and salt until creamed together. Stir in milk a little at a time. Increase the heat to Medium. Constantly stir with a whisk until mixture is thick and smooth.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a 2 quart saucepan over Medium heat, add onions and cook until transparent. Add spinach and water to pan, lower the heat and cover. Stir several times until spinach is almost completely cooked.
When spinach is almost done, add white sauce, sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and simmer until completely blended.

Brown Rice

Ingredients:
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 3 cups water or vegetable stock
Directions:

Combine all ingredients in rice cooker and let stand 30 minutes before cookin(This does not need to be done you can skip). Turn on rice cooker and cook 35-40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.

White Rice
Ingredients:
• 1 cup white rice, long or short grain (not instant)
• 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 2 cups water or chicken stock
Directions:

Combine all ingredients in rice cooker. Turn on rice cooker and cook 10-15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Lemon Dill Rice
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 1 lemon, rind grated, 1 Tbs. lemon juice reserved
• 1/2 tsp. dill weed
• 1 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced, or 1 cup dried
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
Spray rice cooker pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add rice, water and salt to taste. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, or until rice cooker shuts off. Allow to stand, covered, 10 minutes more before serving.

Cajun Rice

Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp. Wyler's Cajun-flavor instant bouillon
2 1/4 c. water
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 med. onion, chopped

Directions:

In saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Serves 6.

Cajun Spiced Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. flour (rice flour for Gluten Intolerance)
1 c. instant rice (Or cook the rice)
1 green pepper, cut in chunks
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. sliced celery
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. salt (opt.)
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can Cajun tomatoes
1/4 c. water
6 chicken breasts, skin removed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 regular size cooking bag (10"x16")

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in cooking bag. Place in 13"x9"x2" baking pan. Add tomatoes and water. Squeeze bag to blend ingredients. Arrange ingredients in even layer. Combine cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle over chicken and place chicken in bag on top of rice mixture. Close bag with tie. Make 6 slits on top of bag and bake 1 hour or until tender. This recipe serves 6. Each serving is 290 calories and 75 mg. cholesterol.

BEEF STEW

2 Lbs Beef Stew Meat
2-3 onions coarsely chopped
2T coconut oil
2T Ghee
3 zucchinis coarsely chopped
3 carrots coarsely chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
1/3- ½ c Eden Ume Plum Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 - 14oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Chopped Tomatoes
1/3 can Muir Glen Tomato Paste
2 bay leaves
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
½ t oregano
½ t basil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 T Honey or 15 drops stevia
Water or Chicken Broth (gluten free) to cover meat
Melt ½ of the fat in a large covered pot and sauté onions till slightly brown then remove from pan and put aside on a plate. The brown ½ of the meat in the rest of the fat over med-high heat till brown then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon, and then brown the rest of the meat. Remove the meat from the pan and now add the vinegar and boil for a minute or two to loosen any brown particles from the bottom of the pan. Now add all ingredients to the pot and cover with water or chicken stock and water just to cover all ingredients. Bring up to a boil and then cover pot and place in a 335 F oven for 3 – 3 ½ hrs. Remove from oven and add a little more water if it has dried out otherwise just taste and check for seasonings. When I serve this I like to shred up my meat and make sort of a goulash with it.

Chili

2 lbs ground chuck
4 onions coarsely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
2 T coconut oil
2T Ghee
2 - 14oz cans Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes (they have one that has chopped chilies in it, you can use one of these along with the second one as plain)
½ c Muir Glen Tomato Paste
2 cans Eden Organic Navy Beans drained and rinsed
2 cans Eden Organic Kidney Beans drained and rinsed
¼ c chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
Ground pepper
3T apple cider vinegar
Water or chicken broth (gluten free) to cover
Melt ½ fat in large covered pot then brown onions. Remove from pan and brown meat next. Add garlic to the mean and brown slightly. Now add everything into the pot (except the cider vinegar) including the browned meat and enough water and broth to cover meat and beans. Cover and cook for 3 hours so it is simmering (slightly bubbling). When all the beans are cooked and soft add the cider vinegar and serve. There will be plenty left over to freeze.

Beef & Lentil Soup

1 pkg Arrowhead Organic Red Lentils Beans
2 lbs ground chuck
2-3 onions coarsely chopped
4T coconut oil and Ghee
3 carrots chopped
5-6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
1 14oz can Muir Glen Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1/3 c Eden Ume Plum Vinegar or Apple cider vinegar
4 cans of chicken GF chicken broth
2 bay leaves
½ tsp marjoram
½ tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 T honey or 16 drops stevia
Ground pepper
Rinse beans then cover with water and soak beans overnight. Leave about 2” of water over beans because the beans will expand and soak up a lot of the water. Drain and rinse beans. Brown onions in ½ of the fat in a large covered pot. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Now brown meat over med high heat. Add garlic and brown slightly. Remove from pan. Add vinegar to pan to dislodge any brown bits then add back all the ingredients. If the beans and meat aren’t completely covered with the chicken stock then add some water. Now simmer (slightly boil) for about 3-4 hours till beans are very soft. At this point you can use a potato masher to smash up some of the beans to get a rich thick consistence. I use my immersion blender for a minute or two to do this, but if you don’t have one just use the potato masher. Serve, there will be a lot left that you can put in jars and freeze.

Baked Dijon Salmon
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Lemon Garlic Salmon
Ingredients:
4 (4 Ounce) Salmon Filets
1 Tablespoon reduced calorie margarine or butter
3 cloves garlic minced
Juice of 1 lemon (or 3 tablespoons)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt Margarine in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Place salmon filets in skillet and sprinkle with lemon juice on both sides. Cook approx 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Great with Chardonnay!!

Garlic Red Potatoes

Ingredients
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish.
3. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes.
4. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Steak Seasonings
Ingredients
Salt, Fresh Garlic, Olive Oil
Directions
Rub on steaks, brown on sides

Chicken Seasoning Rubs
Butter or Olive Oil, Paprika

3/4 teaspoon sage, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon leaf thyme, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash marjoram
dash cloves, optional

Asparagus Sauté
Garlic
Olive Oil
Thyme or Vegetable oil
Directions
Sautee fresh minced garlic, olive oil, thyme or vegetable rub
10mins

Baked Salmon
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 ounce) Wild Salmon Dinner Fillets

Directions:

1. In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Coconut Rice
Ingredients:
1 Cup Jasmine rice, rinsed
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened lite coconut milk
½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
Salt and fresh pepper
1 tablespoon sugar or honey (2 teaspoons agave syrup)

Directions:

Place rice, salt and 1 ½ cups water in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. When rice comes to a boil cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.

While rice is still hot, mix in coconut milk, coconut, salt, pepper and honey, stir until combined.

Mango Salsa Coconut Rice accompaniment

Ingredients:
1 ripe mango, diced
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup diced tomato (about 1 large)

Gently mix all ingredients. Cover and hold until serving.

Curried Basmati Rice

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Reduced-calorie margarine
1/2 cup Finely chopped onion
2 cloves Garlic; minced
1 1/2 cup Uncooked white basmati rice
1 teaspoon Curry powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
21 ounces Low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon Grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add rice and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add salt, broth, and water, and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with a fork.

Basic Curry Rice

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 onion
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:
Sauté onion and green pepper in butter until onion is tender. Stir in curry powder, turmeric, slightly beaten egg, salt, pepper and cayenne. Mix into hot rice.

Coconut Curried Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup peanuts -- salted
1 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:
Combine rice, onion, water and salt in saucepan. Cook covered until tender, about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Melt butter in frying pan. Add coconut. Sauté until light brown.

Add peanuts and curry powder to coconut. Stir. To serve, mix everything together.

Chicken Rice Polenta
Ingredients:

1 Cup Organic Basmati Rice (White preferable)
¼ cup chopped onions
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 ¼ cup water
½ cup mixed veggies (Peas, Carrots, Green Beans, and Broccoli etc)
1 Tablespoon Butter (or Oil) Butter brings out the taste better (gee is a healthy non dairy butter)
½ cup Polenta (You can get this at Mothers, Henrys, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes) looks like it’s in a package similar to sausage in the rice and canned goods aisle.
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Can Chicken or Boiled Chicken shredded

Directions:
Cook Rice, Onion, Chicken Broth, Water, Veggies, Butter, Salt and Pepper until moist, water almost absorbed and it’s creamy, add Polenta and Chicken and any more salt or pepper to taste and mix in to heat up. Ready to serve

Oatmeal Pudding

Ingredients:

2 cups cold cooked oatmeal
2 cups rich milk
¼ cup sugar or honey
1/3 cup seedless raisins
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla flavor

Directions:

Beat the eggs slightly, add the sweetening and the flavor, and mix with the milk.
Work this gradually into the cooked oatmeal, pour into an oiled baking pan and sprinkle the raisins over the mixture, working them in with the tip of a spoon.
Place in a shallow pan of water, and bake in a medium slow oven until set and a light brown color.
Let cool and serve

Indian pudding

Ingredients:

1 quart milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
½ cup raisins
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar or Honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ginger
1 egg

Directions:

Place the milk in a double boiler and when it is scalding hot add the meal, moistened with cold water and stir constantly to avoid lumps.
Cook for twenty minutes.
Turn into a pudding dish and add all other ingredients except the egg.
Stir well and when the mass has cooked somewhat stir in the beaten egg.
Bake for one hour in a rather slow oven and serve hot with hard sauce or any desired sauce.
One-half cup dates or figs may be used instead of the raisins.

Rice cooker Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten
1 qt. milk, scalded
1 c. sugar or Honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 c. chopped dates or raisins
3 to 3 1/2 c. rice, cooked

Directions:
In slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover. Cook at medium setting for 2 hours. Stir after 1 hour. Reduce temperature to keep warm for serving or chill in refrigerator and serve cold. Serve with light cream, if desired.

Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

• 5 min 5 min prep
• ½ Cube Basmati Rice
• 2 C Light Coconut Milk
• 2 C Water
• 1 Tsp Vanilla and Cinnamon
• 1/2 Honey
Directions:

Combine rice, coconut milk, water and honey in saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 min, stirring occasionally.
Take off heat, add cinnamon and vanilla.
Enjoy warm or chilled.

Rice Pudding with Cashew Butter
Ingredients:

1 Cup Basmati Rice
2 C Almond or Plain Rice Milk
1 Tbsp Cashew Butter or other Nut Butter
2 Eggs
½ C Honey
1/2tsp Vanilla
1/4c Raisins Plumped
Sprinkle Cinnamon

Directions:
Simmer the rice and "milk" together for 5-10 minutes. Add the nut butter. In a separate container beat the eggs, and add the Honey, vanilla, raisins and cinnamon. Mix in the rice/milk mixture and pour into a greased (use parve margarine) 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes

Healthly Living Links

2008-02-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

Receiving Gods healing
(Our Diseases & Illness are rooted spiritually and need healing) If our bodies are being flooded with Stress, Anxiety,Fear, Anger, insecurity, Worry and we also eat bad we are setting our selves up for illnesses. By treating our bodies gently with the foods we eat and begin to receive the word of God for healing we will be healed through Forgiveness, Love, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Compassion, Understanding, and Joy.

Spiritual Roots to Disease and Pain-By Life Application Ministries
Receiving Forgiveness and Healing your Heart and Body-By Life Application Ministries
Blocks that Prevent from Healing-By Life Application Ministries

Gluten Free References
Food Allergy Lab Tests
The Gluten Free List of Ingredients
Gluten Free Resources
Celiacs Articles for Unsafe Foods
Gluten Free Information-Be Informed
Knowing The Difference in Rice variations
Information about Rice compared to Gluten
What is Celiacs Disease?

Restoring your digestive disorders
Restoring your digestive Health
Eating Alive
The Truth about Soy

Raw Foods
Get your Own Raw Food Snacks

Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Resources, Yummy Recipies, and Information on Living Grain Free
Grain Free Recipies for SCD(Specific Carbohydrate Diet)
Learning about SCD
More Information about SCD
SCD Beginners Guide-Making SCD Yogurt
Yogourmet Yogurt Maker for SCD Yogurt
Using Goats Milk for SCD Yogurt. Sensitivity to Cows Milk

Natural Healthy Living
Taking the Path to Health-Jordin Rubin makes clear reference to the Bible for our eating

Eating from the Bible-By Jordin Rubin
Living Food, Supplements, By Dr Bob Marshall
Natural Health Newsletters-By Dr. Mercola
Dr Mercolas Article on Vegetarian Myths-By Dr Mercola
Dr Mercolas Article on being a Vegetarian-By Dr Mercola
The Truth about your Microwave
Dr.Mercolas Article about The Truth about Vaccines

Essential Oils & Aromatherapy
Essential Oils and Much more to make your own oils, fragrances, etc- New Directions

Essential Oils-Abundance in Organic Essential Oils and more- Mountain Rose Herbs

Essential Oils - By Essentially Yours
Essential Oils- Bulk- The Essential Oil Company
Essential Oils - By Natures Gift
Essential Oils by Oshadi USA

Intestinal Struggles & Digestive Aids
Articles
The Importance of Healthy Bacteria
Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth
Parasite Diseases and Your Health-By Nutriteam
Power of Grapefruit Seed Extract
Candida Yeast and Grapefruit Seed Extract
Parasites and GSE-Nutriteam
Get your GrapeFruit Seed Extract and More at NutriBiotic
Chronic Constipation-Encopresis
Why Eat Organic-Organic Health and Home

Parasite Cleanse-By Herbal Remedies (Also tons of other supplements)

Learning about the Bad Bugs

Human Intestinal Parasites Worms and Cleansers by Applied Ozone Systems

Yeast Cleanse Candistroy & Probiotic Rebuilder by Herbal Remedies

Dr. Clarks Herbal Parasite Cleanse

Probiotics -Most of these sites also sell in local health food stores
Learn about Probiotics and Acidophilus
Probiotic Bacteria and Your Health-Global Healing Center
Probiotic Supplementation-Organic Health and Home
Intestinal Supplementation-BioKPlus
Advanced Probiotic Nutrition-Ethical Nutrients
Probiotic Formulas-Jarrow Formulas
Digestion Aid-Garden of Life
Probiotics, Yogurt, Keifer-By Lifeway
Benefits of Keifer Probiotics-Dr. Mercola
Medical Grade High Potency Probiotics sold in Pharmacys-VSL#3
Detoxification & Optimum Health-Liquid Form Probiotics-Living Streams
Probiotic Microflora Restora-Alt Cancer

Fermented Probiotics
Learn about Fermented Foods & SCD
The Power of Microbes-Fermented Foods-Healing Crow
Cultured Raw Vegetables-Common Health Products
Learn More about Fermented Organic Foods

Cleansing & Detoxing
Detox Foot Patches-Eidon
Heavy Metal Food Detox Pads-Acuped Pads
Detox Perfect Cleanse Supplementation-Garden of Life
Cleansing, Healing Brasco Broth- Garden of Life
Dextox Kits with Recipie Plans-Integris Global Dr Prescribed
Colon Cleansing Kits

Cleansing Foot Pads by Herbal Remedies

Removing Toxin Build up, Whats inside you.-Blessed Herbs(Below link Open with Caution)

Candida Cleanse Products - Candida Support
Lymphatic Detoxification-By Kath joy

Tooth Fillings may be a problem with the Mercury in them please watch below:
The Smoking Tooth-Dangers in Fillings

Discovering your allergies
Allergy Clinical Labratory for Discovering and Testing your Food Allergies-Entro Lab

Health & Nutrition Education & Information-Finer Health
Health Food Matrix-Discover your allergies-Register w/email to recieve full list

Inflammation & Joint Pain
Foods that Cause Chronic Inflammation-Arthritis Treatment and Relief
Common causes of inflammation in Women-Women to Women
Testimonial on Stopping inflammation-Veg Source Discussion Board
Inflammation and Your environment and Diet-Dr Ray Sahelian
Lose the back Pain-Information about Inflammation and Natural Anti-Inflammatorys

Information on Inflammation and Natural Inflammatories-Women to Women
Learn about Vitamin D Deficiency-Dr Mercola
Learn about Fish Oils and their Benefits-Dr Mercola(register with email to see newsletter)
EPA's & DHA's -Fish oils are key for Reducing Inflammation (Mercury Free).

Cod Liver Oils Supplementation_Mercury Free-Quantum Labs-Dr Marshall

Ultimate Omega Supplements-Mercury Free-Nordic Naturals
The Anti Inflammation Diet

Supplements(Vitamins, Minerals, Fish Oils)

Multivitamins
Food Based-Pure Potency Multi Vitamins-Super Nutrition
Pure Potency Supplements, Vitamins and More-Life Extension
Liquid Multivitamin & Minerals with Amonio Acids & Digestive Enzymes by Herbal Remedies

More Multivitamins for all specific needs by Herbal Remedies

Minerals
Liquid Based Pure Mineral Supplementation-Eidon

Oils -Cardiovascular ,Whole Body, Skin and Hair health
Ultimate Omega Supplements-Mercury Free-Nordic Naturals
Cod Liver Oils, Omega Oils-Carlsons-Dr Mercola site
Oil of Oregano-Benefits for your health-Health Mart
Organic Oils-Eden Foods
Omega Oils, Cod Liver Oils and more-Vita Cost
Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Butter Article-Omega Nutrition
Raw Pumpkin Seed Butter-Rejuvenation Foods
Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Butter-Whole Sale Supplementation

Mineral Salt
Himalayan salt crystals-Sun Foods (High Mineral Content)

Digestive Enzymes
Broad Spectrum Digestive EnzymesMake Life easier to digest your foods-Houston Enzymens

Body Care(Hair, Skin, Makeup & Whole body)

Hair
Natural Organic Plant Extract, Salon Quality Hair Care-Aveda

Hair, Face & Body Care
Organic Body Care-Organic Health and Home
Earth Friendly Natural Personal Care-Burts Bees
Organic, Natural Skin, Hair and Body Care-Aubrey Organics
Natural Body Care-Toothpaste, Deodarants and more

Organic Refreshing Rose Water-Toner-Royal Essence
Natural, Organic Skin Care-Just Natural Skin Care

Natural skin care products-Kiss My Face
Organic Oils Based Soaps, Lotions and Hair Care-Dr Bronners(Bible Scriptures on Some)

Natural Body Butters-Preservative, and Chemical Free-Oils By Nature

Makeup
Jane Iredale-Mineral Makeup-Recommended by Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons

All Natural, Chemical Free, Anti-oxidant Mineral Makeup- Mineral Essence
Natural Makeup and Body Care-Alba Botanicals

Healing Links

Create in me a clean heart scripture verses

Forgiveness Scriptures

Truth Scriptures

Being a good wife

Believers Papers on How to..

In Jesus Articles

Get you own bible verse for your birthday

Personal Promise Bible

How to Read You Bible

Biblical Eating Articles

Our Daily Bread- By Jean Lisenby

Jordin Rubins way of eating "The Makers Diet"

Books
Amazons Grain Free Living Books
Amazons Gluten Free Books
Eating Alive II

Matter of The mind-Linda Lange (Life Application Ministries)

The Makers Diet-Jordin Rubin

Yeast Connection & Women by William Cook @ Herbal Remedies

The link between Ance & Food

2008-01-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of your acne? Is it causing you to hide from others? Does it give you a false sense of reality? Do you feel ugly? All those and other complaints are common. It seems that more so today more adults are continuing to have acne well after their teens. Is this an epidemic? Are we ignoring that we could make a change with our body if we read the signs and symptoms. If you are sick you rest, eat soup, and drink lots of liquids. Well, when we have other physical ailments that are bearable do we take note that we should eat right, drink plenty of liquids and rest? Well, no of course not but those are only the few of many reasons why we could have acne. I truly believe that our diet plays the biggest role in why our skin looks so bad. Let’s see do you eat lots of foods containing sugar? Do you drink a lot of milk, and or dairy products (Skimmed milk, cottage cheese instant dairy breakfast drinks, cream cheese, ice cream? Are you a fan of red meat? Do you eat a lot of carbohydrates and or starches (Breads, Muffins, cereals, grains, cakes, deserts etc? Do you prefer sea food over fish? Do you feel bloated, and or irritable? Do you spend tons of money on facial products? Well, you’re not alone. I have been there. It seems to me that our body is telling us we have an infection. Everything seems to be linked to our gut. That means everything we eat will in fact lead to a bigger problem. If you can successfully clear the biofilms/infection in your intestines/gut you will in fact see a positive reaction with your skin. You ask well how would I do that? How could I even begin? Well, the first thing would be to change your diet (A diet is not eliminating to lose weight but in fact a diet is a change in eating patterns). By eliminating all dairy especially pasteurized (pasteurization) and homogenized dairy so that you are not adding to your body hormones and antibiotics that cause your system to be off balance. While you would think dairy is good for you it is not as it can aide in killing off your naturally occurring cultures in your system fighting to protect against infection and illness. Most European and Japanese add cultured foods into their diet without really knowing it’s what keeps them so healthy. What is cultured food and where would I find this? Well, you could start with keifer, cultured yogurt (Greek yogurt without sugar added), fermented drinks or vegetables and aged cheese from raw milk. Its best to first begin by giving your body a brake. Begin to eat a diet full in Wholesome Organic vegetables, fruits, ocean fish(stay clear of farm raised), and minimal meats(like free range turkey, chicken, and grass fed beef. Take this as a way for your body to finally relax and not make it work overtime to process all those preserved, sugar infested chemically enhanced and altered foods.
Now you say well I can do that but what about all that money I spent on my facial products and I'm also taking prescription antibiotics for my acne. Well, that's the hard part because yes your Dr prescribed those for you. What I would ask myself is do you feel my DR is certain those things fix the root problem I am experiencing or is this just procedure because they really don't know how to fix me. Do those things make you feel better or are you experiencing other symptoms from all those other prescriptions and products? So you don't take drugs(prescription based), you don't buy processed foods, and you like fresh water, and natural drinks without any added sugar or chemicals. You eat pretty good. You frequently eat salads, vegetables, you like to eat fish and cook your meats to your liking without adding too many ingredients such as bread, pasta, or grain based ingredients. You like to eat raw snacks such as nuts, fruits, and fresh smoothies (minus the milk and sugar). Well, that's a start.
Ok so it would be safe to say that to wash your face you will never know what ingredient in that cleanser is either helping or making the problem worse. It’s safe to say that if you try using a cleanser that has only a few simple natural ingredients you would be doing your body a favor. Thus eliminating any trial and error. So you could try something I like to buy for whole body cleansing is Dr Broners soaps(I am in no way selling or paid to market this). It’s just my favorite so I want all of you to know. These soaps are simple and effective in cleaning your skin. Don't fear the natural oils that are in this product. You would actually be surprised if you didn't deplete your skin of natural oils you would see that your skin would not be as dry and dehydrated all the time and your acne would not be as frequent as your skin is able to heal itself and hydrate those pores causing them to tighten and close. We use so many water based products that our skin doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to stay hydrated. The oils in this product are also antibacterial. You could say hey how can that be? Well, that’s just how God intended. He is smart and knows exactly what our body needs. He knew we would be living in a world filled with good and bad bacteria. Plus we can't continue to kill all the bacteria on, around and in our body. Those good and bad bacteria or Mico-Organisms are vital to protect you from other serious illnesses. It’s not the dirt of bad bacteria we come in contact that cause the acne its bacteria that is growing and or fermenting in our body from poor care over a long period of time. What about my antibiotics. I thought I needed to kill this bad bacteria. You may have seen this started to work in the beginning but then over time your body pretty much became immune to it. Well, try stopping and giving your body GOOD bacteria. Try heading over to your local health food store and ask for cultured foods and beverages without any added sugar. This is key for your body to begin restoring your guts natural balance and flora. This will begin to invade those intruders in your gut that are causing the overgrowth and infection which will in turn begin to heal the rest of your body. This is not an overnight quick fix. Your stomach takes at least 21days before it begins to get over an addiction and healing begins to take place. Over months of constant daily natural care you will begin to see less and less of those pesky inflammations that occur. You can also read up on natural inflammatory medicines (Proteolytic enzymes, Bromelain, Tumeric Extract, Papain, Boswellia Extract, Rutin, & Ginger Extract) to reduce the inflammation you currently have. Now with your moisturizer and toner, it’s best to stick by my motto and go natural all the way. You can find simple toners that are water based that hydrate your skin like aloe vera toner, rose water (My favorite because it cleanses, tones, and hydrates your skin), witch hazel toner, lavender toner, and tea tree oil toner. Now to continue the simple strategy you can try a natural oil moisturizer and read up on essential oils that you can use to make a moisturizer. My favorite and easiest is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Please read up on how good this is for your skin. It soaks right in leaving your skin supple and more youthful. Though some may be sensitive to the coconut oil on their skin so please try a small patch and see how your skin reacts. The difference between Virgin oils and regular possibly refined oils is that Virgin Oil is first pressed from the coconut or other nut that extracts the oils with all of its vital nutrients intact. It will look white and cloudy during winter times and liquid during warmer seasons because it changes consistency through temperature changes. Just put a little in a small jar leaving the rest in your kitchen for other useful cooking purposes. Rub it on, use it to remove makeup or use for whole body care and even your hair to repair split ends. Now if you find your skin does not react well to it you can try body butter type lotions that are raw natural body butters. There are tons of other sites as well that sell body butters but just keep in mind stay away from all the preservative chemicals and agents they add in the stores. Its best to buy fresh from the seller so you get a natural product. There are other natural moisturizers out there oil based but just try to stick to a minimum of any ingredients your products are made from. If you need some natural acne treatments you could try lemon juice, tea tree oil, tomato sauce, witch hazel, garlic, and many others. Try searching for natural home remedies for acne. You will find tons of information of acne based masks, cleansers, toners, and topical treatments. Your kitchen is your best friend for your face believe it or not. A great diet to start on would be the SCD diet and or try a detox cleanse to begin to remove all the impurities your body is loaded with and then start fresh with a clean, and healthy diet. I hope this helps you in any way. This is not meant to sell anything talked about but to help you heal. I have been down this road and want you to be free of all the unhealthy things you may be doing to your body. Blessings to you!

Steps to clear skin
1. Being to eliminate foods that cause inflammation and infection such as Dairy, Sugar and processed foods
2. Check your medications and switch from Antibiotics to Probiotics to begin to get a healthy set of cultures entering your system to fight the infection and biofilm.
3. Eat lots of Organic Veggies, Fruits, Fish, Organic & free range Meat and Poultry
4. Get the proper supplements to add to your diet the necessary vitamins, minerals and fish oils.
5. Find a gentle face wash that is not harsh or abrasive or drying.
6. Find a good toner and moisturizer preferably oil based not water based.
7. Perform a mask weekly to keep your skin under control and your pores clean
8. Keep your pillow cases clean by changing them every 3 to 5 days.
9. Also try to change out your bath towel every 2 days as well.
10. Refer to my Healthy Living Links page for products and articles that can help you get healthier skin.

Example of Ance Diet regimen:

Acne diet- Eat fiber: Have a salad everyday. Add: Whole grains, green veggies, brown rice, sprouts. White tea. Eliminate: White flour, sugary and fried foods, soft drinks, caffeine, chocolate, dairy, eggplant, peppers, tobacco, tomatoes (high in potassium,) peanut butter, wheat, shellfish, eggs and table salt(Switch to High Mineral Mediterranean Pink Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt)

Some specific Supplements for Acne that help to break up the biofilms that do not brake down from Antibiotics are Allicidn Pills and Pink Salt reccomded by Dr. Bob Marshall from Quantum Nutirtion and Healthline:
http://www.qnlabs.com/products01.php#alli

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteurization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilms
Links:
http://oneadayaway.blogspot.com/2008/01/sugar-is-in-your-food-did-you-know-that.html
http://oneadayaway.blogspot.com/2008/01/sugar-is-in-your-food-did-you-know-that.html
http://www.drbronner.com/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil#Virgin_coconut_oil http://www.oilsbynature.com/product-category/butters.htm http://www.scdiet.org/1about/

Sugar is in your food. Did you know that?

2008-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

It surprises me that people have known for years now that Sugar is bad for you but we still eat it. Are we blind or does the Sugar speak for itself? It's no wonder we deny we have an addiction to it. Did you know that Sugar is in almost everything these days. If you shop at your local grocery store you will notice they have to preserve everything. Plus it needs to taste good and guess what ingredient that is. Sugar yes. I can't say I have never been addicted my self. I wouldn't be talking to you if I didn't know a thing about it.
As a kid I thought it was second nature. It didn't ever occur to me that I was harming my body by eating it. Its not until I have grown to be serious about my health.
Are you frequently sick, bloated, tired, and irritable? Well, that may very well be because you are filling your body with unwanted ingredients that your body does not know what to do with. We become toxic the more we digest sugars, preservatives, synthetic vitamins, and pre-packaged foods. Did you know that those foods were probably processed months before you even got to it at the store.
Its hard to realize that it could even be a problem for us. Unfortunately if you were to try to not eat sugar you would probably experience these withdrawal symptoms that could be as excruciating and serious as an alcohol withdrawal, including tremors, flu like symptoms, headaches, and mood swings. You probably don't know it will hurt until you try. Its as addictive as heroin. Its said that you don't know you have an addiction until you stop using it.
There are many different types of sugar: Raw unrefined, refined, sugar cane, powdered sugar, and brown sugar. If you see something that says Raw Cane Juice its just the same but natural. You will still have an addiction if you switched over but it would be better to eat the natural sugars rather that Refined chemicals. Now your probably asking your self if I am suppose to eat naturally then isn't natural sugar ok for me? Well, the answer is yes and no. Yes it is good for you in the sense that it contains vital nutrients for your body and No it is not good for you if you are experiencing any symptoms that you are not happy with physically and emotionally that I talk about below.
Scientifically, sugar refers to any monosaccharide or disaccharide. Monosaccharides (also called "simple sugars"), such as glucose, store chemical energy which biological cells convert to other types of energy.
In a list of ingredients, any word that ends with "ose" will likely denote a sugar. Sometimes such words may also refer to any types of carbohydrates soluble in water.
Glucose(a type of sugar found in human blood-plasma) has the molecular formula C6 H12 O6.
Some of the health concerns that are raised from ingestion of sugar daily would be depression, mood swings, irritability, depletion of mineral levels, hyperactivity, anxiety, panic attacks, chromium deficiency, depletion of the adrenal glands, type II diabetes, hypoglycemia, candida overgrowth(Yes Bacteria-The bad kind), raised levels of cholesterol and anti-social behavior such as that found in crime and delinquency.
Do you want to try and watch your ingredients. Well, you can its actually really easy. My theory when shopping is that if I cannot read or understand the words that are included in my foods then its probably not natural. You know what is good for you if it was created naturally on the earth by God and not altered. So to start. Lets say you want something natural at the store. Well, lets talk Vegetables. Yes they are fresh from the ground or tree they laid. Its not to say they have not been affected by fertilizers and pesticides which is another topic I will touch on later. They are in fact still in the original physical state they were created to be. The ingredients were not taken apart, stripped of any nutrients and chemically processed.
I would say to start off take one step at a time. Try changing your shopping routine. Stick more to the Produce isles, Fish & Meat isles, and natural oils and seasonings. That would get you started. You can take home some fresh broccoli and Salmon. Steam the Broccoli and cover with olive oil then take your Salmon prepare it with fresh basil, lemon, olive oil and garlic. See how simple that can be. That's all naturally derived foods and seasonings. Now that may not be in your taste bud glossary but you get the idea.
I hope that this can lead you to a healthy lifestyle. Its takes years to adjust to a healthy lifestyle. There is tons of information out there that can help you get to your goal. Just eliminating the Carbs, sugars, preservatives, and chemicals your body will learn to drop weight because it is able to absorb the nutrients giving your body vital energy that will turn your system into a fat burning energy absorbing creation. We are meant to have tons of energy, burn calories, and have immune systems that will fight off those common colds and flu's.
If your not sure where to start checking your ingredients try all of your pre-packaged foods such as your cereal, soup, ketchup, salad dressings, yogurt, flavored milks, shakes, pancake syrup, ice cream, bread, peanut butter, table salt, spaghetti sauce, trail mixes, sodas, juice's, fake butters, jams, and preserves, applesauce packs, TV-Dinners, deli slices(Turkey, & Ham), sauces, french toast, waffles, muffins, donuts, cakes, etc. So you ask is it in everything how will I ever be able to eat? The answer is you can. Just buy naturally prepare foods. Try again to eat fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, and check your packaged, jarred foods as well. You can find foods without sugar you just have to read the label. Keep an eye out for these types (brown sugar, Barbados sugar, castor/caster sugar, coarse sugar, confectioners’ sugar, date sugar, demerara sugar, granulated sugar, sugar cubes, invert sugar, muscovado sugar, powdered sugar and some natural types are raw sugar, Turbinado sugar, sugar cane, cane syrup, evaporate cane juice, cane juice etc.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar
Questions & Answers - Types of Sugar:http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/SugarTypes.htm
Sweet Poison - The Hidden Dangers of Sugar Addiction: http://www.holistichelp.net/sugar-addiction.html