Learning about sweeteners

I think most everyone I know (that's you!) at least knows about the problems with corn syrup. Now, you're avoiding it, right? ;) Please do!

Sugar--Kaleb was telling his friend Gracie that God didn't make sugar, the other day. I corrected him...God DID make sugar. But man made a ton more of it grow. And man made it an ingredient in everything--not just desserts and candy--but spaghetti sauce, and salsa, and salad dressing.

Agave Nectar--I was using it prior to this diet. Dr. Campbell-McBride advises against any "new" sugars--and just sticking to honey. There are always new sweeteners coming out. Then there are always new articles about those sweeteners coming out--explaining why they weren't as great as everyone thought they were....I read this article about Agave Nectar tonight. I really appreciate the site it's on...check it out. :) The main deal--it's highly processed--it's heated--it's turned into fructose--a kind of fructose that is worse than high fructose corn syrup.

Stevia--I keep hearing about Stevia. I read an article about it on that same site tonight. Did you know that Stevia has contraceptive properties? No way! Goodness! And the white powder is highly processed...Highly processed = no good. :)

So what do we use? Well, we use honey. Not a ton of it. I have noticed a pattern, when I have honey in a day, my weight either stays the same or goes up .5 lb. When I don't use it, my weight goes down. So I'm getting used to tea without honey, etc. (herbal berry flavored teas are just fine w/o honey....and perfect on a sore throat! ;). I do let my kids have a little bit of honey just about every day. But we get plenty of sweet food--tonight we had butternut squash cooked in browned butter with thyme. It was yummy, and quite sweet! I think we're getting used to living without sweetening every little thing (I used to dump probably 1/2 a cup of sugar on my corn chex!!!), and this is a gooood thing!!! :)

When disaster strikes you...

"do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."

Proverbs 27:10

I believe this verse is true for many reasons, and I've seen it in my own life. I came across this verse not long after Isaac was born--when new friends from our mini-church at Good Shepherd were pouring out love on us, visiting us in the NICU, bringing us food, helping us clean our kitchen because we were spending entire days at the hospital, etc.--and most of our family was too busy to visit more than one time during the 3 months Isaac was in the hospital....Yes, when disaster strikes you, unfortunately, even when you have a believing family, it's better to go to a neighbor, or friend...

I wouldn't call our current situation disaster--but there are struggles, for sure. We have been facing, for a long time now:

Health problems in me that sometimes disrupt daily life...

and,

An 8 year old who hasn't been able to get over 39 lbs for quite a while. He is below the 5th percentile (I think below 1%, even), didn't gain weight on a feeding tube, and is tiny for his age. Our only glimmer of hope was him getting up to that 39 lbs because of the gluten free diet (prior to that, he had not gained even 1 pound in 2 year's time).

So, maybe, call that disaster? Parents who are dealing with a severely underweight child, and health problems in the mom to boot, are likely going to be desperate to find help....

Medical doctors have nothing to offer us. Isaac has been through more testing than any kid I know. Those barium tests and x-rays probably did him more harm than good, now that I consider it. :( We got no answers, no help, no hope. They can't reassure us that he's doing ok (because he would be growing if he was doing ok), but they can't tell us anything to do to help him...My doctor can tell me what is wrong with me, with blood work: Thyroid Autoimmune and other general Autoimmune stuff, but the option he offers me to deal with it? Go on medications--that he admits, I'm too young to start. (Nor do I want to cope by using meds!)...

So this is where we're at: yes, literally desperate to heal both my son and myself....

We are doing the GAPS diet, which has helped thousands of people. I read a new blog almost every day of someone who had great results because of it. I read the book (and several others) and it all makes so much sense to me. My friends--"neighbors"--understand that--or at least respect that I'm doing my best (after SO MUCH RESEARCH) for myself and my son. It's family I'm having a hard time with....

Some worry that we're starving our kids (I can assure you, we are NOT!), or that they're not getting enough carbs (is 200 per day sufficient? I think so!), or that they're going to lose weight (Isaac was 41.5 tonight! The opposite is happening!). I have had to deal with hour-long phone conversations of family members believing we are doing something VERY WRONG (feeding them only whole foods?) to our children. Some just choose to make fun of us, because we're doing things differently. Yes--they laugh at us--mock us in front of others...

We're doing our best. I'm convinced we are doing what is right and best for our family. I feel better--Isaac is growing. We are eating whole foods, and only whole foods--no junk. None of the long lists of ingredients like when I was couponing last summer. (I always had to wonder what it was that was making me sick--but with 20 different ingredients in one salad dressing bottle, there was no way to know! Now I just make salad dressing, using ingredients like: homemade mayo and/or yogurt, fresh garlic, herbs, olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar--I know what's in there, and nothing has funny names I can't pronounce).....

I know we're doing the right thing for our family....I just wish I could get better support--and less criticism from the people who are closest to us. :(

Why I need to stick with this diet...

Here lies the gory details of my life. ;)

Have you ever eaten, and moments later had to go to the bathroom--I mean HAD TO GO, like right then--like, nobody get in my way, I've gotta run? Have you ever gone out to eat, gotten in the car, and immediately asked your husband to please stop at the next gas station (ew!) or whatever he could possibly find, because you had to go? And have you had--what my family calls "Poop Soup"? (I know, lovely ;) Have you had it regularly (not just with a flu)? Or--on the flip side--constapation that is something like what I assume vaginal delivery must be? Now--imagine either one of these, all the time, more-than-the-average times per day, sometimes both kinds in one day.....

Doctors don't know what to do with diarrhea--immodium? Regularly? And constipation--Mirilax? "Fiber"? (Real fiber is fruits & veggies, thats why I put the "" there).

A couple of years ago, I remember seeing a rheumatologist in hopes of figuring out what autoimmune disease I had going on. I had to fill out a form with various drawings of a body & write in any symptoms I had. I pretty much had symptoms all over the place...Let me think...

Migraines
Acid Reflux
Constant Ear Aches
Dry Eyes (can't cry in one of my eyes, too)
Chest pain
Left arm going numb on regular ocassions, all the way down to fingers
Also pain in that left arm and fingers (esp. ring finger, my ring starts feeling way too tight)
Arthritis in hands, ankles, legs
Stiffness
Shakiness
Weakness
Diarrhea
Constipation
"Foggy Brain"
Feeling so weak & spacy that my eyesight is diminished (I can only see right in front of me)
Sensetivity to light and sound
Flushing (red face)

The doctor asked me lots of questions and made me feel like she was listening--like someone was finally going to help me figure out what was going on (this after several other specialist appointments with no answers). She left the room for a little bit, came back in, and said maybe it was anxiety--maybe it was all just anxiety...

I left her office crying....

She would've put me on antidepressants (raising my already way too high serotonin levels). Anxiety is one of those way too quickly diagnosed and medicated conditions. Anxiety wouldn't cause high serotnin, high ana levels (Lupus marker), high thyroid antibodies, etc....

I went off gluten and didn't have acid reflux or arthritis again at all (over a year now), but those other symptoms did not go away...

Since we have been doing this diet I have felt SOOOOOOOO much better. So much more energy. So much more clarity of thought. So much more strength.

Tonight we went to a wedding--it was beautiful and very fun. There was salad and soup and bread to eat. I avoided the bread, ate the salad (a vinegar oil dressing on it--probably sugar too) and went for the safest of four soups--tri-tip. It was thicker than I thought it would be (cornstarch? wheat? oh my...), so I just ate chunks of beef and carrot out of it....

At the wedding, my head started hurting. I felt "foggy brain." My face got bright red and hot. My belly started hurting. We had to ulock the door fast to get me into the bathroom (lovely). I don't feel well tonight-at. all. I don't feel like this when I eat on the GAPS diet....

Today we listened to an mp3 by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, who wrote about this diet. It was SO good. It all makes so much sense. Nobody should feel like this...There IS hope. I DO have hope, while I suffer through this.......

That's all--you all wanted all those details, right? ;)

Why we are eating the way we're eating...

Some people think we're weird because we're not eating anything processed. Some people think we're eating *unhealthy* (especially for our children) because we are currently not eating starches or sugars. I've had to explain my reasons so many times now that I'm just plain exhausted from it. Honestly, the way that most Americans eat is new--within the last 50 to 100 years, and some foods (like the increase in soy & corn products) only within the last 30 years....America's health has gone downhill (anyone disagree? I can pull out stats and studies to share if we need them! ;). Frankly, I don't want myself or my children to be a part of that trend. We have a goal of multi-generational faithfulness--children, and grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren who love and serve the Lord. But if they're crippled by illnesses (as my genes, for sure, will give them), they won't be able to serve and spread God's word to others....My desire is for satan to not have a foothold on my family (and future family) when it comes to food. I know my kids will make their own choices--and that's ok--but I at least want to ground them in what I believe is right...

We are currently eating:

No processed foods

No complex sugars

No refined flours

No soy, corn, corn products of any kind

No potatoes, for now

No beans, rice, or even whole grains, for now

Meat

Salmon at least once a week or more

Lots of Veggies

Salads every day

Tons of yogurt

Raw Cheese

Raw Milk, Cream, Butter

Fruit

Honey

Lots of homemade broth

Coconut Oil

Coconut Milk

Shredded Coconut

The only semi-processed foods we eat are: Unsweetened Organic Applesauce from Trader Joes (I'm getting 20 lbs of apples today to start making my own), and Organic, Unsweetened Fruit Leather (from Costco)--and this is only as a "we're out of apples and bananas and we need to bring a little snack for the kids!" kind of thing...

So, some facts--why we eat the way we eat...

Diets rich in meat & dairy linked to decrease in breast cancer (starch-rich diet linked to elevated chance of breast cancer and ovarian cancer)

Animal foods linked with reduced risk of breast cancer, while starch found to be associated with enhanced risk...

High Starch Diet Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

Milk may prevent breast cancer

Yogurt and Cancer: Can Yogurt Prevent the "Big C"?

Cancer caused by carbohydrates, sugars, white flour and corn syrup...

Processed Carbs = Breast Cancer?

More evidence carbs fuel cancer

Carbs Can Cause Cancer

Gluten: What You Don't Know Might Kill You

When we do introduce whole grains and potatoes and beans (and maybe corn) again, I will be soaking all of the above before we consume them at all...

Soaking potatoes cuts cancer risk

Start Soaking Your Grains...

Be Kin to Your Grains...And Your Grains will be Kind to You

It's not all about cancer for me. That's important--but honestly, I think cancer is just a symptom of other things going on in the body (a deadly symptom, no doubt). I think for many (not all, of course) people there are signs before cancer gets them...There are digestive issues...tummy aches..."foggy brain"...lack of energy....muscle aches...arthritis....acid reflux...acne...headaches...rashes...asthma....lots of colds or flus.....etc....I think most people deal with these things or take a prescription or over the counter drug to deal with it and then brush their symptoms off as "normal...."

It's not normal for your body to feel icky!

I could keep writing...and share with you what I've read about this diet we're on....And share with you how I feel sooo much better. How, I felt better going gluten free (no more acid reflux, no more arthritis), but not completely better, and now that we're eating like this I am not weak anymore. I have no more "foggy brain..." I'm not shaky anymore. I don't feel like I have low blood sugar anymore. I have a whole bunch of energy that I never had--and I'm down 10 lbs! Hallelujah! :)

Honestly, when I see store-made donuts or french bread or packaged cookies, I get that icky feeling in my tummy--you know like the one you get when you've eaten something and it made you throw up?? It's like that for me. I don't even crave it now.....

Anyways--that's all....It's worth it....Trust me! ;)

Worcestershire Sauce

I've been gathering recipes by season recently, and putting them into a big binder. I went through recipes I'd printed and cut out, and threw away recipes I knew we wouldn't use. I've been trying to cook with the seasons--and since lemons are never in season here (unless you have an indoor lemon tree!), I'm struggling with the fact that so many recipes have lemon juice! Goodness! Another ingredient I've been struggling with--ok--actually, I've been tossing out recipes that contain it--is Worcestershire Sauce. Mainly because I wondered, what is it, anyways?

I was just looking up foods on Azure Standard--searching for organic groceries (Organic produce, and pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, etc. are SOOO much cheaper on there!!). I came across a bottle of Worcestershire Sauce with organic ingredients, so it caught my attention--maybe it's better? Here are the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blackstrap Molasses, White Grape Concentrate, Worcestershire Base (Water, Sea Salt, Sugar, Spice Blend, Caramel Color, Dehydrated Soy Sauce, Yeast Extract, Organic Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavors), Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor Enhancer (Wheat Protein, Salt, Maltodextrin), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Caramel Color, Spices, Natural Flavor.

Since we're avoiding sugar, Blackstrap Molasses stands out to me....The other things that stand out are: Sugar (who needs more?), "Spice Blend" (could mean literally ANYTHING, there are no regulations on this), Caramel Color (because we all like our foods to be the right color, even at the cost of our health, right? ;), Dehydrated Soy Sauce (mmm...as if regular American soy sauce wasn't bad enough for us--let's oxidize it and create entirely new chemical properties! ;), Yeast Extract (anyone need more yeast?), Maltodextrin (another word for Corn), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (not even the slightest bit healthy--no Asian culture that eats soy would eat it this way), More Caramel Color, and more Spices.....

And that's the healthy version!! So I went into my pantry and dug out the Flavorite version of Worcestershire Sauce (which hasn't been used in forever), and this is what it contains:

Vinegar, Water, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Red Peppers, Hydrolyzed Soybean and Corn Protein, Salt, Tamarinds, Anchovies, Caramel Color, Dehydrated Garlic and Onions, Polysorbate 80, Cloves, Natural Flavoring, Lemon Oil.

Corn Syrup? Ahh! I thought my family was avoiding it--for a long time now--but it's in Worcestershire sauce? Goodness! And Hydrolyzed Soybean and Corn Protein--oh yes, we all need more of that, I'm sure (it's what's making America so healthy these days, you know! ;), Caramel Coloring. What is Polysorbate? I certainly don't reach for it when I'm cooking!

And I just learned--Hydrolyzed grains or legumes of any kind = MSG. It's how they trick our tongue into thinking we're eating something nutritious (they get a "meaty" flavor out of grains and legumes for cheap)--but it's actually quite toxic to us. Yikes!

Wow. (Just dumped out my bottle--Seeeee ya! ;)

I know that everybody isn't in agreement that soy (or at least in the format it's served to us in our country) is evil, but one thing I think most people agree on is "Moderation"....I think, also, most people generally believe that it's good to eat different kinds of foods to get different nutrients for our bodies (rather than, say, potato chips all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday--you get it). :) The thing is--processed food like this--pretty much any processed, packaged food at the grocery store contain the same 2 or 3 grains: mainly Soy, Corn, and Wheat. Our country is now eating more soy than any asian culture, and it is processed in ways that are toxic to our bodies...The packaged food consumer is eating a tremendous amount of corn and soy and wheat....And we wonder why America is obese, and suffering cancers, and autoimmune diseases, etc? I was reading the other day about a prison where inmates were fed large amounts of soy & got sick, and now there is a lawsuit....Yikes!

Also, I read recently that it is predicted that ONE in THREE of our children born after the year 2000 (that's all of mine, what about yours?) will have diabetes as an adult, and that EIGHTY PERCENT of those kids will have heart disease.....I believe that this is mostly, if not alllllll because of our American diet and the way our foods are processed and poisoning us. (Maybe I'm a little whacko to believe that, but I do! ;)

I did a search for some soy-free, corn-syrup free Worcestershire Sauce recipes, and I'll list them below. So there is hope--we can make our own! :)

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
3 lb diced apples 1 chopped, seeded orange
3 chopped onions 1 gallon vinegar
2 lbs sugar 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS ground ginger 2 TBS whole cloves
4 TBS pickling salt
Peel the apples & onions. Cook all of the ingredients for 3 hrs; strain.

Black Worcestershire Sauce

2 lbs brown sugar

3 lbs cooking apples, peeled and cored

2 1/2 TB cayenne

4 TB Salt

2 TB ground cloves

2 TB ground ginger

5 bulbs of garlic, peeled

1 gallon malt vinegar (not gf!)

Boil all ingredients for about 1.5 hrs or until everything is soft and pulpy. Can in sterilized jars.

Also, it would probably work to find one of the many worcestershire sauce recipes online that call for corn syrup and use brown rice syrup instead....That's an option. I'd like to try using honey instead. I'll post again when I try it to tell y'all how it turns out! :)

Coconut Chicken Strips with Pear Chutney

First, meals have changed around here. The plate used to look like this:

Mostly Meaty main dish

Some kind of starch (rice, pasta, potatoes)

A little bit of Salad OR Veggies

Tonight's dinner looked like this

1/3 Meaty Main Dish

1/3 Salad

1/3 Veggies

The great thing about this is that we're eating more veggies!!

But, I wanted to share my (loose) recipe for tonight's meaty main dish!

~~COCONUT CHICKEN STRIPS~~

3 lbs Chicken, cut into strips

3 or 4 Eggs

3/4 cup Coconut Flour

1 1/2 cups Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut

2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 cup butter

Grease a large pan (or 2 pans) with coconut oil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Stir up the eggs in one bowl. Stir the flour, coconut, salt and paprika in another bowl.

Dip the chicken strips into the eggs, then into the coconut flour mixture, then place into the pre-greased pan. Drizzle butter over all of the coated chicken, and then put the pan(s) in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until done.

~~PEAR CHUTNEY~~

1 Garlic Clove, minced

2 TB Onion, minced

1 TB Fresh Ginger, minced

1 TB Unrefined Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 TB Lemon Juice

1 Pear, chopped up

1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce

3/4 tsp Mustard Powder

2 TB Honey

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Saute the garlic, ginger and onion in a small saucepan over medium heat, until soft. Add in the remaining ingredients, cook until pear is squishy. Add more of whatever you want, to taste. Some chutneys call for cinnamon--that might be nice, too. :) This makes a yummy sweet & sour sauce for dipping the coconut chicken.

Super YUMMY Soup!

Both Karry and I are in love with squash these days--it's amazingly sweet, did you know?

Tonight I had 1 acorn squash and wanted to make a soup that didn't contain any cream or milk. I found this recipe, and halved it, and it was amazingly yummy!!!

The only changes I made:

I didn't bake the squash ahead of time. I doubled the broth (but halved the whole recipe--I think I used about 20 oz of homemade broth), and then Karry chopped the squash up for me while it was raw (a manly job!) ;), and then I sauteed it a bit with the onions, and then added in the broth and let it boil. When it was nice and soft, I used my handy-dandy emersion blender and made it into a creamy soup.

I used coconut oil to saute the onion.

I added a little pepper.

I only had a red onion, and used maybe 1/4 of it.

That's all--it was YUMMMMMMYYY. Karry said "restaurant quality". Check it out!

My Type

Ever since I went through the personality testing yesterday for my family, I've been doubting the type that I'd tested as, INTJ. There's another site, where you can see more clearly what each letter represents. I keep thinking about some of the wording under the "F" letter instead of the "T," and I think it fits me better....Here is T:

Thinking Characteristics

• Instinctively search for facts and logic in a decision situation.

• Naturally notices tasks and work to be accomplished.

• Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis.

• Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people.

  
  

  and F:

  Feeling Characteristics

  • Instinctively employ personal feelings and impact on people in decision situations

  • Naturally sensitive to people needs and reactions.

  • Naturally seek consensus and popular opinions.

  • Unsettled by conflict; have almost a toxic reaction to disharmony.

while I fit both in some ways, I think I am more of an F....I think the tough girl side of me wants to be a T, because I don't want to be sensitive to other people's opinions and thoughts...but I am. That last line--"unsettled by conflict; have almost a toxic reaction to disharmony" defines me in a way that I'm embarrassed to admit....I struggle BIG TIME when there isn't peace between me and the people I care about--it eats me up. I struggle when I think pretty much anyone in the world doesn't like me--which is annoying--but it's how I am....I think it holds me back sometimes, too. This blog--my website--they're huge, HUGE steps for me. Because I can write all of this--and all of you can read all about me and know me--and maybe you won't like me...maybe you'll think bad things about me--and I'll never know. Yeah, that's huge! I think it holds me back though, because someday I'd like to write a book (ask Karry how many book ideas I come up with! I'm always saying "I thought of another book idea!")--but I'm apprehensive because I know I will have critics. I know everyone in the world will not be in harmony with me once I put my thoughts out there. I know I will look at Amazon and see critiques--or maybe zero reviews. See, I think this F side holds me back....So I try to suppress it and be like the INTJ--"The Scientist"--who focuses on facts and knowledge (I do) to such a degree that it doesn't really matter to them what others think about them (not me).

So what is an INFJ?

Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

Some famous INFJ's:

Chaucer, Jimmy Carter, Nathaniel Hawthorn, Shirley Temple Black (my Grandma's cousin ;), Mother Teresa, Michael Landon, Martin Luther King, Jr.