Silly Me!

You would think I would learn after my last episode with essential oils, to STAY AWAY, but it usually takes a few lickins' before I can get it in my head. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE essential oils, but for me, who is now incredibly cleaned out, they can have a strong effect.

If you start with the GAPS INTRO DIET, you heavily detox in the beginning, so your body becomes incredibly cleaned out. As you move along on the diet, you add detoxifying foods slowly, so your body can adjust, so not to become too overburdened by the toxins you are pulling from your body. For Example: Juicing is very detoxifying. We are suppose to start with 2 Tbl. a day, and slowly go up to a cup. If  you feel miserable, you can slow down a bit, or try again another time. Another example is sauerkraut and it's juices. My family is up to 6 tsp. of sauerkraut juice. This is a huge accomplishment for us. It took forever to be able to tolerate 2 tsp., so I am happy for our new number. Soon, we will start 1 tsp. of the actual sauerkraut, and move up to a 1/4 of a cup with every meal.

So back to ESSENTIAL OILS. Last weekend I went to my SIL's house, and she has a friend who can scan your body for the oils it needs at the present time. My highest oil was Lemon. Lemon is incredibly detoxifying, and a purifier. (Go figure!) So, I decided I would go slow, and only have one drop of the oil in my water a day. By day two, I looked 4 months pregnant. I was extremely bloated, had back and neck pain, and a headache to boot. Ok, so I went too fast on the oils. I know my body needs them, but here's the kicker. 1 drop of lemon oil, is as effective as 20 cups of lemon tea. So, since doing GAPS, and having to go slow with all of our detoxing foods, 20 cups of lemon tea was a slam to my body!!

Note to self: STOP PUSHING THE LIMITS. This diet is not a race, I will come out better in the end, so don't kill your body in the process, it is counterproductive. Go line upon line, precept upon precept, and quit trying to be tough!

Ok, I feel better now.

Note to everyone else: Essential Oils are fabulous! They are my new medicine cabinet. I haven't had to take my kids to the doctor in over two years, because the oils have taken care of the colds, flu, asthma, pink eye, need for stitches, burns, ring worm etc. They are very powerful, and work at the cellular level. I love them, just too powerful for me right now!

New plan: Continue the food course. When I am officially in the FULL GAPS DIET, and I haven't detoxed in a long time, start the lemon oil again, but dilute it, and use twice a week to start, and build up from there. Better plan!

Keep eatin' fat!

Brittney

Shrimp Scampi and a FUN story!

When I can find some WILD caught shrimp on sale, this is the recipe we make! My children lick their plates on this one.

(The picture doesn't do it justice. I didn't have my good camera. Bummer!)

 SHRIMP SCAMPI

2 lbs. of peeled and deveined shrimp

2 T. of Ghee or Butter

1/2 onion chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic minced

1/2-1 cup of chicken broth

2 medium spaghetti squash

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I generally cook my spaghetti squash whole. Place the spaghetti squash in a pan, and cook it for about 1 hour. Peel and devein your shrimp. In a medium skillet, melt  the butter and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 min., until the mixture is soft and translucent. Add the broth and stir til gently simmering. Add the shrimp, and cook for about 5-8 min., stirring til the mixture has thickened and the shrimp have turned pink. Salt and pepper to taste. Shred the spaghetti squash with a fork, and use as your noodles for the shrimp scampi. Butter and salt your spaghetti squash, and then top with the shrimp mixture. It's a yummy buttery, garlicky mixture in your mouth. YUM!

This weekend, I went to visit my sister-n-law. She took me over to one of her friend's houses. When we walked into her family room, there was a big CAT climbing all over the couches we were about to sit on, and weaving in and out of the curtains by the window above the couch. I knew I was going to sit on that couch, and I knew I would be in trouble. I have always been allergic to cats. Usually before I see a cat at someones home, I can TELL a cat lives there. My throat and eyes start to get itchy, I get stuffy, and start sneezing. I try not to touch the cats, or I'm in real trouble. I went and sat on the couch, and hoped that I wouldn't be too bad off. I think we were there for longer than an hour, and guess what! Not one sniffle, no itchy throat, and no watery eyes. I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe it! There's a theory out there that allergies do not really need to exist. Allergies just mean you need to work on your digestive and immune system. Once you get those working properly, no allergies. I'm hoping this is a sign, that things are starting to work properly in my body. Now I didn't exactly touch the cat, or roll around in the "cat-hair" couch, but I'll have to experiment with that next time! :)

Keep eatin' fat!

Brittney

Detox...it's a Love/Hate Relationship

I've been missing for a while. What have I been doing? Detoxing, and detoxing HARD! It's been a while since I have detoxed, and I almost forgot what it felt like for me.  The last two weeks, I have been incredibly fatigued, I've experienced intense back and neck pain, foggy brain, some insomnia and a new one, some major ANXIETY. The anxiety was the worst part about it. I felt so out of control, and I wasn't sure how to deal with it. I feel bad for people who have chronic anxiety, it's awful!

I started looking back at what I had eaten. The only connection was a new brand of coconut oil. (Coconut oil is incredibly detoxifying and has to be approached slowly when doing the GAPS diet). I thought maybe this coconut oil was more potent. So I stopped eating it.  2 1/2 weeks later, I was still detoxing hard, so I decided it couldn't be the oil.

I kept thinking, what else could it be? Then I realized, that I had started using Frankincense Essential Oil. I had been to an Essential Oils class recently, and I remember them saying, "Just start using the oils, start getting them into your body." Most of the oils I had, I used from time to time, but not frankincense, which is revered as the "gold" of all oils. So, I started about 2 1/2 weeks ago to apply it on my body or throw it in my bath every once in a while. That's when I started to get sick. The frankincense was detoxing my body. I didn't realize it at first, and kept using it sparingly. I forgot to use it for about three days, and noticed I felt much better. The next day, I remembered about the oil, and used more than normal, to catch up on the days I had missed. BAM! Another "no good" detoxing day. I finally made the connection. Thank goodness!

Frankincense can do so many things for the body (even fight against cancer), so I'm not exactly sure what it is trying to target in my body, but it was definitely powerful for me. I've liked the results of the frankincense (not the detoxing part), so I will continue using it, but maybe just twice a week, one drop, and work my way up to a higher dosage.

Detox, (or for GAPSTERS, we say die-off) has been very interesting for me. The first several months on GAPS, I experienced non-stop:

exhaustion
body aches
headaches
nausea
dizziness
heart palpations

I was trying to decide when it would ever end! Then we decided to back off a lot of the detoxifying protocols, and go slower. Things got better! Over the summer months, I experienced

A couple Kidney Stones
Pink Eye
Hair falling out
Major BO ( I know it's not very lady like to talk about your BO, but before gaps, I never sweat, I never smelled, I rarely had to wear deodorant.) Guess what, not good! We need to sweat, to get rid of junk in our bodies. I remember sitting one night, and actually my husband and I both stunk and he said, "In the 10 years of marriage, I've never smelled you before, and now you stink!" We both started laughing hard, because I did, and I showered like three times a day, with no avail. Luckily it went away!

(It was a mild summer, thank goodness!)

As I started upping my detoxing protocols, I started detoxing EMOTIONALLY. I had no idea I had crazy emotions locked up way down in my body reeking havoc. I've gone through a few emotional cleanses, and there kind of scary, because you don't really know what is going to come out, but I always feel so much lighter and better when they are over.

So now, lately, the detoxing is definitely more spread out. When I feel good, I feel REALLY good, like a brand new person. It's awesome!! That's why detoxing for me is a LOVE/HATE relationship. I love it, because I know it's helping me purge junk out of my body, but I hate it, because it's no fun going through it. I guess, NO PAIN, NO GAIN!

As I was really struggling through this last detox process, I stumbled upon a website that a lot of gapsters recommend, called healingnaturallybybee.com. I felt like this was a little "tender mercy" from the Lord. Her protocol is very similar to GAPS, but she has detailed papers written specifically about what detoxing/die-off is, what is considered a healing reaction, and how are body will retrace through old symptoms and emotions that have already occurred in our life. I felt a lot of comfort as I read through her pages, that I would not feel horrible forever, and that I need to push on...slowly. I do want to relate one story that was told, that painted a good picture in my mind, of what retracing is.
One doctor wrote that when your body is going through a deep detoxing protocol, it will retrace through past symptoms. If you think of a staircase, and Health is at the top, the next step down might be headaches, then the next step down might be fatigue, the next arthritis, the next an ulcer etc. As you start to heal your body, you start going back up the stairs, experiencing even more intense arthritis, then gone, you take another step up, and you go through fatigue, and so forth, until you are at the top again with good health! It's totally weird and crazy to me that this is happening to me, but it is, so I go with the flow as well as I can!

Although I'm getting good at seeing my kids reactions, it is easier to see my own healing. This gives me hope that my children's bodies are changing for the better as well, and that's all I can ask for! :)

Keep eatin' fat!

Brittney

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