I'm SOLD!

On the GAPS Diet, you're detoxing your body. Dr. NCM wants you to get rid of as many chemicals and toxins from your environment as possible. Since this diet takes so much work, I wanted to do it as correctly as possible. Although you can't eliminate every chemical from your life, reducing the burden on the body is very helpful.

So, it's been a year of experimenting! I've tried lots of natural products, I've made some homemade cleaning products, but NEVER have I found something as AWESOME as this!

E-Cloths 


In fact I usually don't recommend something to someone unless I have at least used it for a month, to make sure that I absolutely love it. Well, I've had this product for a total of 24 hours, and I would recommend this to everyone!

My sister-n-law was just talking about how great her microfiber cloths were. Last year a friend of mine had shown me her special microfiber cloths, and I couldn't believe how streak free her windows were with just water. I remember they were expensive, and I wasn't ready to do research on cleaning supplies. Now that these cloths are everywhere, I didn't want to invest in something that was expensive, but I also didn't want the so-called "cheap" ones either, because I heard they didn't clean as well.

Last night I was walking around HOME GOODS, and on the clearance table was a two-pack of these microfiber cloths. I thought, why not, $4 a piece, I'll give them a try, there on sale for heaven sakes! I had purchased the glass and polishing cloth, which could be used on mirrors, windows, stainless steel appliances, stove tops and granite counter tops.

I first tried it out my kids mirror upstairs in their bathroom. Toothpaste and all! (I hate the smell of Windex, and my natural cleaners clean the mirror, but leave a little leftover streak, and smell like vinegar.) I dampened one cloth, wiped down the mirror, and then went over it with my dry cloth. The mirror was soooo crystal clear. I couldn't believe it. I then tried my black granite counter top in my kitchen, that shows every smudge, fingerprint, sponge mark etc. Again, it cleaned up beautifully. ( I cant stop looking at it.) I then tried all my stainless steel appliances and my stove top. The thing that has impressed me the most, after it is clean, it's smudge-proof for a while. I have been opening and closing my fridge all day since cleaning it, and not a fingerprint or mark on it. I know it will start smudging in due time, but it keeps it clean longer. Weird!

I finally decided to look them up online. I saw a picture of a lady cleaning a bathtub with them. I thought if this could clean a bathtub, scum ring and all, without baking soda or some kind of scrubbing agent, I will be thoroughly impressed. So I went upstairs, and tried it in my kids bath. The ring around the tub cleaned up so quickly, without even breaking a sweat, with just WATER! Can you tell I'm a little excited about this?

They are allergy-friendly, they have the good housekeeping seal, you rinse them out with water, and throw them in your laundry every once in a while to get them cleaned, they save you money, there just awesome!

I'm getting a few more and arming all my kids with one wet cloth and one dry cloth, and I bet we can get the house cleaner a lot faster.  You can visit there website for more info. www.ecloth.com. I'm not getting paid to say any of this, I just think AWESOMENESS should be shared!

Brittney

Choclate Candy Bar

Tiffany Higgins, a fabulous nutritionist, gave this recipe out at a Relief Society Meeting a couple of nights ago. My husband has been making it now for a couple of months, and it is sooooo good! Tiffany calls it "candy bar", and we call it "chocolate". I'll post the basic recipe, and then let you know about some variations.

(We ran out of coconut oil, so I have not been able to take my own pic. of this. The one below is from Mark's Daily Apple, were they have a different version with macadamia nuts. I don't add nuts, so it looks a lot smoother then the pic. below.)

CHOCOLATE CANDY BAR:

3/4 c. of unrefined coconut oil
2/3 c. of unsweetened cocoa powder
3-4 T. of raw honey (if u don't have raw, regular works too.)
1/3 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (If you don't like coconut, you can always skip this.)
1 T. of cinnamon
2 tsp. of vanilla
pinch of salt
1-2 handfuls of chopped raisins (optional, but gives the chocolate a little chew. I love it!)
1-2 handfuls of nuts (optional)

If coconut oil is not melted, melt it on the stove. Remove from heat. Mix the cocoa powder into the coconut oil very well so the powder is fully incorporated. Add the honey and mix well. Add the next 4 ingredients, and incorporate well. Then add the nuts and raisins. Pour into a dish, or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place it in the freezer for 10-15 min. Once it is hard, break it into pieces and store it in a container in the freezer or refrigerator. If I pull it out of the freezer, I let it sit out for about 10 sec., until it softens just a bit. Enjoy!

If u have a food processor, melt your oil, throw all the ingredients in the food processor, and whirl away until it is all incorporated!

Variations:

Peanut butter chocolate: Instead of 3/4 c. of coconut oil, use 1/2 c. coconut oil, and 1/4 a cup of peanut butter. (Or more peanut butter, less oil for a more peanut buttery taste)

Peppermint Bark: Add one drop of peppermint essential oil, or a few drops of regular peppermint extract

Orange chocolate: Add one drop of orange essential oil

Nutty chocolate: Add some chopped walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts

Our favorite at our house is the regular chocolate bar, or the peppermint bar. My little indulgence, is spreading some homemade peanut butter on top of the regular chocolate bar! Yum!

I love this recipe, because it is RAW. All the enzymes and vitamins are intact. The coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid, so you burn it quickly for energy, and it helps to keep you full. It is also very anti-bacterial, ant-fungal, and anti-parasitic. The honey is not cooked, so you are getting some good live enzymes and minerals.  Cocoa is full of antioxidants and is loaded with magnesium which most of our bodies are lacking. (This is why we women crave chocolate around "that time of the month", magnesium relaxes our body...cramping, back pain, etc. and the little bit of caffeine helps boost our mood.) Cinnamon is incredibly healing and nuts add good fats, fiber and protein.

Enjoy!

Keep eatin' fat!

Brittney

FAT & SUGAR

Tiffany Higgins, a fabulous nutritionist, came to speak at our Relief Society Meeting tonight. She is so smart! She knows all about nutrition, and the body. I can seriously listen to her for hours. Here are some of her key points, and good reminders to myself;

If you can change one thing...change your fats.

Your cell wall is made up of fat. You want stable cells, that do not mutate, so you need a strong wall. You must eat plenty of good fats in order to keep those cells stable and strong.

Your brain in some areas are 90% fat. In order to have a healthy, functioning brain, eat good fats.

Good fats are: Butter, Coconut Oil, Animal fats, Olive oil, Ghee, Palm Oil

Childrens' diets should be made up of 30-80% fat. Their brains and bodies are still growing.

Eat about 3 Tbl. of coconut oil a day for weight loss.

Olive oil should be refrigerated after 10 -12 weeks (Yikes!)

Coconut oil is cheaper then butter, incorporate and ROTATE all good fats, they all have there importance!

Sugar is sooooo damaging to the body. It is so incredibly processed, it is foreign to the body.

It takes 32 molecules of calcium to breakdown 1 molecule of sugar, so sugar is depleting your body of minerals that it desperately needs.

Keep good/healthy sugars and treats on hand, so you don't make a quick Circle K run.

Natural sugars: Honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, stevia etc.

Eat natural sugar with fiber or fat to slow the digestion process of the sugar.

Shop at Azure Standard for better deals.

Add more minerals to your baths, water, and food.


So, the biggest key, eat MORE good fats, eat LESS sugar.

Tiffany shared her candy bar recipe with all of us. The first time I tasted it, my sister-n-law made it for us. It was soooo good!  We have it almost on a weekly basis, but I have to confess, I have actually never made it. My husband is the candy bar maker around here! Tomorrow I plan on posting it, and then you must try it!

If your interested in learning more about Tiffany and the classes she does, you can go to her website at healthorigins.org to get more info. She is a WEALTH of information, for better HEALTH!

Keep eating fat!

Brittney

If you only master two things....

If you only make two things from scratch, let them be BROTH, and some kind of FERMENTED FOOD, like pickles, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.

Broth has been used for years medicinally, and for excellent health. Broth has all the major vitamins and minerals, except Vitamin C and Vitamin K. It seals and heals the stomach lining. It's a POWERHOUSE!

I already posted how to make sauerkraut, (which is a fabulous source of Vit. C). I will post other ferments in the future, but ferments are ALIVE foods. They are great detoxers, and are also a powerhouse of good bacteria, (which most Americans are seriously lacking.)

At the beginning of our diet, we had to drink broth or have soup at least three times a day, times that with 5 people, and that was a lot of broth. I started making broth a month earlier, and I stocked up on quite a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't care about making it taste all that good, because I just wanted to quickly make a ton, without a lot of the extra ingredients. (Basically just water and chicken.) Big Mistake! I learned quickly, that taste did matter, and that broth was quite yummy and comforting when you made it right. It was a little bit of a struggle to get my kids to drink it at first. We had a sticker chart, and if they drank all the broth that they needed in a week, then we did a fun family outing. My two older kids caught on, but my 2 yr. old just didn't get the concept. I first had to hold the cup in order for him to drink it, and then he wanted me to stand right by him when drinking it. He had the hardest time. I was always trying to convince him somehow. About 4 months in, one day my youngest asked for seconds on broth, I about fell out of my seat. Now, he asks for it all the time. :) Yeah!

Chicken Broth:

1 whole chicken
Just enough water to cover the chicken
a bunch of fresh parsley
2 carrots (or some peelings and tops)
2 celery
2 twigs of fresh rosemary
a few peppercorns
salt to taste


Put the whole chicken in a stock pot. Fill the pot with water, til' the chicken is covered. Bring the water to a boil. At this point, some scum will appear on top of your water. Turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Skim off the scum, and discard. Add the remaining ingredients, and put the lid on. Let it simmer on a very low heat for about 3-4 hours. Pull out the chicken. Strain the broth, add your salt, and viola, you have homemade broth you can add to soups, gravies, savory dishes, etc.

Enjoy...oh yeah, when you put the broth in the refrigerator, the fat will form a white crust on top. Do not skim it off! That is good animal fat. The kind that is good for the body and the brain. It will melt back into your broth when warmed up! Enjoy!

Keep eatin' fat!

Brittney

Graham Crackers and Detox

We survived the holidays! Wahoo, Gaps-style!

One of my kids favorite snacks, is homemade graham crackers. My sister-n-law gave me this recipe, and I tweeked it for GAPS. She said she even liked them better then the original, so gaps food can be GOOD!

Homemade Graham Crackers:

4 c. of almond flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
4 T. of coconut oil, butter or ghee

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the liquids. Stir together until well blended. Grease some parchment paper, and place on top of a jelly roll pan. Press out the mixture onto the pan until it covers the whole pan. Cut into 2 inch squares and poke them with a fork (so they look like Graham Crackers). Bake 10-15 min. at 350 degrees. They should be slightly brown when ready. Enjoy!

DETOX:

It's been a Major DETOX week, or more like a HEALING CRISIS for my older son. We started juicing, which is a gentle, natural way to detox the body. We also upped the fermented foods, which is another way to detoxify the body.

He had flu-like symptoms Saturday evening, that turned into a huge asthmatic coughing attack on Monday, and both nights, he had Night Terrors. A lot of his issues were coming forward all at the same time. Luckily I was ready to take on what we call, "die-off."

A couple ways to help with Detox or Die-off:

Epsom, Baking soda, Apple Cider Vinegar baths (alternating)
Drinking lots of water
Resting
Enemas
Activated Charcoal
Drinking Broth
Walking outside in fresh air

For my son, the baths and enemas seem to be very effective. So Monday, I started the baths with essential oils. The coughing seemed to die down a little, but it was very deep. He was seriously coughing every second, and it was soooo deep. I gave him plenty of broth and water, but he needed something more. I gave him an enema. His nose became very runny, as if something had finally unclogged. About an hour later he went to bed. He woke up once in the night coughing, (which was better than the night before). I gave him one more dose of eucalyptus essential oil. By morning, coughing was gone. I had a happy boy, with barely a whisper of a voice from all the coughing that was done the day before.

Two weeks earlier, I had started him on the Juicing. A lot of his symptoms were getting stronger and stronger as I was pulling toxins from his body. When I upped the fermented foods, it added just enough detoxifying to create this "Healing Crisis." There not fun to go through, but once they are over, he is so much more alert, and his stimming decreases too. People on the GAPS Yahoo forum say that the die-off will happen less and less as you move through the diet, and that his symptoms will hopefully become less and less until they disappear. We will see what happens with Crew, but I am seeing some good things!

I had some die-off too, but more on that in another post!

Eat more fat, it's how the tummy and brain heals!

Brittney Smith