The Blessings of Bedtime Routines

     I've been reading The 5 Love Languages of Children recently, and there were some paragraphs that I'd like to post.  I was just telling Greg that although I often dread bedtime (due to tiredness and the lengthy process it entails), I also love bedtime.  The conversations that come at bedtime never come at any other time of the day.  In the dark, the kids seem to open up in ways that they don't in the day time.  These thoughts I'm quoting have been my own thoughts lately, so reading this book is rather timely.  

At bedtime, I've hung up my working apron (so to speak) and my own mind can finally slow down enough to enjoy the conversation too.  I can savor each child's uniqueness in adding to the conversation, which is yet another reason I love that all the kids share a room. (Extra cuddles are the added bonus here!)  We read a Bible story each night as well as usually another story (we like Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories).  We also sing some "Jesus" songs. Last night we were singing How Great Thou Art so we discussed all about God's greatness and awesomeness. Luke said that "awesome" was the perfect word to describe God and all He is and does.  We talked of how blessings come of being obedient to our loving Father who wants the best for His children.  And how being disobedient will yield trouble either now or later (or both). 

     To quote: "Because your children will learn more from talking with you than you will probably ever realize, it is crucial that you spend time in healthy conversation with them, no matter what their age.  If you limit your talking with them to correction, your children may never learn the value of positive, focused attention.  Negative attention alone cannot meet their need for love.

    "With younger children, one of the most effective times to initiate conversation is at bedtime, when they are especially attentive.  This may be because of fewer distractions then or because children want to delay going to bed.  Whatever the reason, they are listening well and this makes meaningful conversation much easier.

     "All children love stories.  Reading to them is a great way to begin your bedtime ritual- and do make it a ritual, because this will help to keep communications open when they become teenagers.  During or after a story, you can pause to let a child identify his feelings about the events or characters and then talk about them.  As you are reading a story about someone who experiences disappointment, for example, you may talk with your child about feelings of disappointment she has had, along with the accompanying sadness, anger or whatever is appropriate.

     "We strongly recommend these times of conversation.  Sadly, many young people today do not understand how to handle their feelings, especially anger.  Many years of warm and close bedtime talks, which include gentle, relaxed sharing of feelings, can help prevent some of life's deepest problems down the road.

     "Bedtime rituals that are warm and close, gentle and relaxed, sound just the opposite of the busy world in which many parents live.  Don't be a victim of the urgent.  In the long run, much of what seems pressing right now won't even matter.  What you do with your children will matter forever."

More on adrenal fatigue

More information on adrenal fatigue.  Some sources say that 80% of people are affected these days due to lifestyle, food and stresses that we all encounter.  If you missed my original post, it's here.

Here's Eighteen Overlooked Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Here's a good website with lots of info.  http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/

How to get tested to see what your cortisol levels are (the indicators of adrenal fatigue)
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/saliva-testing-for-adrenal-hormones

What to eat to help: http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/adrenal-fatigue-diet

I've got kids needing some stories read, so there's a start...
~R

Birthday Baggage

I just got finished baking our daughter's birthday cake (official big day tomorrow) and ended up rather irritated as I was doing it.  It was partially because of 4 eager helpers that cause great distractions in the recipe-following category, but partially other stuff.  I sadly realized (after all these years), that I have some serious birthday baggage.  As a child, my birthday fell (and still does, hehe) the week before Christmas.  This means that it often got lost in the shuffle, or ended up on Christmas program Sunday, where I would be lucky if I got a cake at church after the program.  And that cake was always shared with some other unlucky kid who also had a birthday that week.  I even tried to rectify the situation when I was an adult by planning a fun stuff myself (and inviting friends), and they ended up a flop too.  No one could come as they always had other plans.  (I've also informed my husband that I never want a surprise birthday party, that would be the ultimate humiliation).  My favorite birthday was actually this past year.  We went out for breakfast with just our family, bought a Christmas tree and some lights for the front of the house and set them all out.  It was perfect!

What does that have to do with today?  I have this pre-birthday anxiety for my kids.  I want to make everything perfect (even if they don't have the same expectations that I have).  I want to fulfill (or exceed) their expectations.  I even get nauseated at those perfect-cake parties that other parents have for their kids because I don't want to start those traditions, when they may get dashed in the future when we may not be able to host the perfect party.  And yet I don't even want to host the perfect party.  But then I do, in another way but am scared I would fail if I tried.  And then who would we invite?  We don't have family here, and often friends haven't been able to come (especially on Memorial Day boy's birthday).  I act all weird when other people have parties for their kids, but in a way I think I'm jealous of my own lacks.  I act all confident in what we do for our kids most of the year, but then when their actual birthday rolls around, I feel very insecure and scared that I'm not doing enough.

When I can see the big picture, it's very clear.  I want to see them smile on their special day.  I want to bake them meals that they love.  I want to give them a meaningful, useful gift.  I want to bake them a cake that shows their interests/favorites at this year of their life.  But when the reality comes, I just want to go rent a big blowup house and some ponies, buy them some glittery motorized vehicles (or other ridiculous gift that are expensive and useless), invite every person we know and shower them in cheesy gifts given out of obligation rather than taste.  Pathetic, hey?  Thankfully I don't have the money or energy to do that.  But now I can see why some people do it.  I used to be snide at how pathetic they were, but I am understanding it a little more each year.  And how I am just as bad, even if I don't pull it all off!

So, there's where it's at.  For dear daughter's birthday, we're going swimming at a local pool, and for our son's (2 days later) we're going to an ice cream shop that he's wanted to go to for a long time. (their choice)  They'll get a cake of my choosing and hopefully some friends will be able to join us for some of the fun (although I'm not counting on it!)   And that'll be okay (or so I'm telling myself)  As for their gifts, daughter is getting a fishing pole for usefulness soon, and son is getting a Bible since that's what I get 6 year olds who are learning to read.

What do you do for birthdays?  And how did you come to those traditions?

Although I skimmed this book pretty fast since I got it out from the library and had to get it back on time, I really enjoyed this book.  Knowing that the 2 sisters who wrote it are originally from New Zealand, that alone makes it fun to read if you can imagine their accents as you read.  It was actually delightful to read (not something most nutrition books are!)  I haven't actually implemented much of their ideas into our diet yet, since I have tweaked our food about as much as I can handle in my brain these days, but do plan to in the future.  But, the long and short of it is this:

Protein + carbs = weight loss

Protein + fat = weight loss

Protein + carbs + fat = weight gain  

(as your body then stores the fat and uses the carbs for immediate fuel)

So, if you can remember that, you're on your way (giving 3 hours between switching from one "fuel cycle" to another).  Eating REAL good food!   Gwen tells it in more detail (how to actually make it happen), but that is a start.

There are also chapters on hormones and how they affect every aspect of life (and what to look for as far as imbalances), how to keep a healthy marriage and more. 

The rest of the review below is from Gwen's Nest blog, as she has a great review.  She is also one of the facebook encourage-rs and moderators who has tons of information for newbies to the plan.  If you read her whole review, it'll give you a much better idea what it's all about on the link above.

Trim Healthy Mama Book Review

"So, let’s first take a look at this book.  To start, it’s 650 pages.  But don’t let that discourage you!  It’s written by two sisters (both avid health and wellness researches) over a 5 year period, and it does not read like a college level nutrition textbook.  Although it probably contains more information and common sense than a standard nutrition textbook.  But you’ll find that it’s presented in a warm, entertaining, and conversational style that makes is a pleasure to read.

Both Pearl and Serene frequently go back and forth throughout the book to express their views on different issues, so instead of getting a one-sided view, you actually get a wider range of (and sometimes opposing) opinions on many of life’s important issues…like the best way to fix coffee, and whether or not to have sardines with breakfast.  And you will find that you probably naturally gravitate toward one of their opinions over the other.

Many ladies on the facebook group have said that they were actually sad to finish the book, because they felt like they’d become friends with the authors.  So, don’t get freaked out about how long the book is…it’s a fun and easy read!

What Is the Diet Part All About?

"I’m glad you asked.

Pearl and Serene have tried, failed, and tweaked almost every fad diet version out there.  Maybe you have too.  I’ve seen and participated in my fair share.  What they found is not a way to simply “lose weight fast”…they’ve discovered the science behind how to control your weight through combining fuels that the body uses.  Namely, fats and carbs.

BUT, you’re not removing ANY food groups from the diet to accomplish this, so you’re able to achieve long term, optimal nutrition from ALL the foods God made (including coffee & chocolate).  Awesome."

http://www.trimhealthymama.com/ 

This book also has reached the Amazon top 10 in Women's Health in less than 6 months since it was published, with no external advertising.  Just successful word of mouth.  Lots of testimonies on the reviews there.

http://www.amazon.com/Trim-Healthy-Mama-Cravings-Energize/dp/193894500X

Where To Go (Adventures in pottying)

Since becoming parents, nearly 8 years ago, there are not very many things that Greg and I disagree on.  We pretty much expect the same things of our children (and each other), which makes things run rather smoothly most of the time.  We often will say exactly the same thing to a child at the same time (for good and for bad), and then one of us has to stop and let the other take over the conversation.

But, there is one thing that we can't seem to agree on.  And since it's been some beautiful weather again, the subject has surfaced once again.  I don't think it's a big deal if the kids pee outside while they're playing, and he does.  

My reasons: 

-we live in the country, surrounded by trees and people who work all day (so aren't home)

-they're kids

-it teaches them to be adaptable (if we should go hiking/camping/road trip/whatever the need may be)

His reasons:

-we have neighbors (that are home sometimes)

-it's not that much hassle to come in the house

-who wants to see that?

My rule is that they have to go to the edge of the yard (into the trees) and be discreet.  And not near the road or even so that they can be seen by cars on the road.

We had an incident a few years ago on a road trip where we were up in the snowy mountains of California putting on tire chains (for our self and then 2 other cars who didn't know how) and our 2 little boys had to pee.  So, I sent them off to the side of the road (through the past-knee-deep snow) to pee in the ditch.  A lady saw them and was shocked (the one whose car Greg was putting chains on).  He said, "Oh, those are my kids!"  What other option did we have?  Tell a 3 & 5 year old to hold it for another hour?  That would have gone over well.  We have tried having a potty in the car, and it has never gone over well, or at all, I should say.

I've now been teaching our daughter how to pee in the woods, so she can if she needs to.  (Or on the side of the road, as has been the need in the past)  I call it "how to pee in the woods without getting it on your clothes or shoes" and it's definitely a skill!

Thoughts on this subject?

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration - Book Review

Wow!  This book is simply amazing.  The more I read about nutrition, the more I am fascinated by the way that God made our bodies.  The amazing ability to heal and recover, the amazing process of reproduction, the amazing nutrients He gave us for our use.  We as a society have strongly abused these blessings, thinking that we know "better" and will improve the process.  Not true.

This book is by Dr. Weston Price, a dentist back in the 1930's.  His own son died from a dental abscess, and he was astounded.  He couldn't figure out why he couldn't save him.  This led him and his wife on a 10 year journey around the world to 40+ different primitive societies to find out what they were doing right.  Instead of focusing on what America was doing wrong, he took the approach of finding out societies that had healthy bodies and teeth (directly related) and summed up what he could learn from them.

The pictures he took are astounding.  Even if you never read this book, go to your library and look through the pictures.  It tells the whole story.  Here's that story: (proved in every single society he visited)

Primitive food = superb health and dental

White man's food (refined flour, sugars, oils) = poor health, poor mouths (shape, teeth, state of health)

It didn't matter if they were Eskimo (still the term in that day) or Aborigine or Welsh (on secluded island) or Peruvian or Swiss (in secluded valleys), the same held true.  Some villages had no doctors or dentists as everyone was so healthy that they never needed them.  The main thing he wanted to know was how we can learn from them and apply it to our American lifestyle.  Here's what he learned:

-no one survived on plants only, animal products are a must (vegans die out within 2 generations due to infertility from lack of nutrients)

-everyone ate lots of vitamins A & D (severely lacking in our culture, as these come from animal organs, insects, guinea pigs (yes, in Peru that's their main source of vitamin D), sea creatures.

-almost everyone ate/drank raw milk products with the live enzymes (camel, goat, cow, yak, etc)

-almost everyone ate fermented products due to lack of refrigeration (which also helps with digestion)

-fertility and healthy babies/children are directly related to the health of the parents (all societies held fertility in high esteem and had a special diet for newly married couples)  It only took one generation of "white man's food" for the dental state of the children to be poor (and I mean poor- crooked teeth, too small of jaws, cavities rampant) and if the parents went back to their primitive diet, the next generation was healthy as could be again.  Even if parents improved their diet right away, the children born following would be healthy (less defects, health issues and genetic problems).  Children born during famines or droughts were often sickly their whole lives.

The Weston A. Price Foundation gives a lot more information and is a wealth of information in this area.  They have started many of the "real food" movements and encourage getting back to this way of eating, as it fits our life today.  Here's a more comprehensive list of what he found:

Principles of a Healthy Diet

If there is just one thing to add to your diet (for nutrient absorption and dental health), it would be a high vitamin (A & D) cod liver oil.  Even doing that will have immense effects on your health.

Some more good information for us today:

Ancient Dietary Wisdom for Tomorrow's Children

Because this book was written pre- copyright laws, you can view it online here. (to see the pictures and read what you want for yourself)
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration e-book

Like mother, like daughter

Recently we've been faced with a little girl who wants to only wear dresses, and also refuses to wear tights/leggings although it's cold and wintry outside.  She claims that she gets too hot, even though they are comfortable. breathable cotton tights (in fun colors and designs).  If she doesn't wear them, then she's cold.  So, I thought the answer would be some knee high socks, since she only had short little ones.

Since moms like me try to shop where they can, I ended up at Big Lots for some other things and figured we could look for some there to save another trip elsewhere.  We found some splendid Minnie Mouse ones there (no plain colors) but then she lost them while we were still in the store.  So, back we went to the sock section and found some Dora ones that would fit the bill.  We bought them and went on our way.

These worked fine until it was time to go to church and those fantastic socks clashed with every dress she owned.  I was fine with her wearing them at home, but try to have her look a little more decent while out and about.  While we were at Target another day, I decided to look for some plain colored ones that would match more outfits.  While we were there, I was asking Elise what ones she preferred (white or navy).  She moaned, "But they're sooo borr-rring!  I want those ice cream cone ones over there." (pointing, as she said it in her sorta-Australian accent/lisp) I decided that likely it would be a fight that wasn't worth fighting every time we went out for her to have to wear the "boring" ones, so we didn't buy any.

The next day was Sunday, and she proceeded to pull on her Dora socks (pictured below on left) with her pale pink dress.  I kind of groaned at the clashing colors, but knew it was going to have to be okay.  Then Greg reminded me, "Well, she is her mother's own daughter!"  Yes, yes she is...

A sampling of my socks, the more colorful, the better! With the famed Dora ones on left

Winter Blues

I'm writing this while staying home again with sick kids.  This has gone on for 1 1/2 weeks now, and is looking brighter, but still not "normal".  I guess what I've learned through this round (and probably each other one when they come), is how little control I really do have over my life.  I would like to think that I have some semblance of control, organization, direction but when illness strikes, I realize that I am nothing.  This is not a bad thing, but a good thing.  It requires relying totally on my Lord and Savior, who provides healing, comfort, peace and all things good.

We started with puking kids, who somehow got reinfected and were sick twice.  And then I got the flu too, totally sapping my own energy and strength to keep on top of the germy laundry and dishes.  The kids have been troopers, but it's been me who has been the whiner.  I hate the smell/sound of puking and don't do well with it. (Who does?) I hate seeing them so helpless and miserable.  I even was at the point of wishing that I could take some of the misery away from them.  Then I got the bug and wished that I hadn't wished that, as now I was out of commission too.  Then dear husband had to work overtime so he's been pretty tired (and fighting all the germies himself) also.  I haven't even hardly left the house all this time (does checking the mail count?)  When I tried to go for a walk with a few of the "well" kids on sunny Sunday, the cold wind made my throat and ears hurt (even though I had a scarf and hat on).  We've missed 2 weeks of church now.

Then the fevers hit.  All the kids.  Then the coughing.  All the kids.  Now I'm doling out cough medicine (at night), vitamin C, immune drops and such all day long.  Hot steamy showers for them all.  Vapoizer on with essential oils.  Garlic laced food.  Vicks on their feet.  Honey-lemon tea.  To little or no avail.  We'll keep at it, but it's getting wearying.  A baby who thinks that he must wake up far too many times each night and needs his mom to put him back to sleep (sometimes awake for 2-3 hours).  We've been working on that for many months, and are no further ahead than when we started.  Each time we make some headway, then teething, or sickness or something (like a too-tired mom who can't get up and do the right thing, so she does the lazy thing) comes in and we start the game again.  My neck and back also go out of place every time I don't get enough rest and I haven't been well enough to even get it put back in.  So add constant stabbing pain to the mix too and a couple whiny kids who make it known how they feel.  I feel like that too, but at least try to control my whining and fussing!

I know that this is a season, and it will pass.  But, I'm tired.  It's hard to see past that.  We're 2 weeks late on getting groceries, which also makes it difficult to find nutritious things to eat for the picky kids who are hungry but don't want to eat anything I make or offer. (unusual for them, they normally eat anything)

But, we'll carry on.  Because it's worth it.  And because we have no other choice.  And try to be thankful for the blessings we have.  A warm house, some food to eat, a washer and dryer to clean dirty stuff.  Things like that.  So goes the day....

Oil Pulling Therapy - Book Review

Wellness Mama also introduced me to the 2000+ year old Ayurvedic medicine tradition of oil pulling.  Not sure what it was all about, I read the book!  Here's a sum off Dr. Bruce Fife's (the author) website.  If it works like they claim, this has got to be the cheapest, most effective, and easiest way of improving your oral health and detoxing your body.  Much cheaper and pain free, a huge at-home option compared to a nasty dental visit, that's for sure!  (he gives guidelines for using, and when to see the dentist)  The book was well referenced and a very quick, easy read.

"Dr. Karach’s method of oil pulling consists of swishing, not gargling, vegetable oil in the mouth. The oil is “worked” in the mouth by pushing, pulling, and drawing it through the teeth for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. It is done once (to three times) a day on an empty stomach. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal. The used oil is discarded and the mouth rinsed out with water. The oil is never swallowed because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous.

Sunflower and sesame seed oils are the most commonly used for oil pulling, but any vegetable oil will work. People have had success with olive, coconut, almond, and other oils. I prefer to use coconut oil because of its many health benefits. If you use a mild flavored coconut oil it is very pleasant in the mouth. Some oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, are so strong flavored that many people find them difficult to use.

The oil acts like a cleanser. When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it “pulls” out bacteria and other debris. It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil picks up dirt and grime. When you drain the oil, it pulls out the dirt and grime with it, leaving the engine relatively clean. Consequently, the engine runs smoother and lasts longer. Likewise, when we expel harmful substances from our bodies our health is improved and we run smoother and last longer.

As simple as it is, oil pulling has a very powerful detoxifying effect. Our mouths are the home to billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites and their toxins. Candida and Streptococcus are common residents in our mouths. It is these types of germs and their toxic waste products that cause gum disease and tooth decay and contribute to many other health problems including arthritis and heart disease. Our immune system is constantly fighting these troublemakers. If our immune system becomes overloaded or burdened by excessive stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and such, these organisms can spread throughout the body causing secondary infections and chronic inflammation, leading to any number of health problems. "

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article%20oil%20pulling.htm

Deep Nutrition - Book Review

Keeping up on my usage of my library card, here's the next one.  Deep Nutrition by Dr. Catherine Shanahan and husband Luke Shanahan from Tucson, AZ.

I heard about this book from my favorite nutrition blog, Wellness Mama.  I was able to buzz through this, even though it's filled with statistics and facts (skimmed over them).  The point of the book is how much our genes can be encouraged or discouraged based on our nutrition.  And how the nutrition of our parents and grandparents affects our lives today.  And how if we are "destined" to bad genes from our ancestors, we are able to reverse many disease processes through nutrition alone.  How beauty is related to nutrition in many different facets.  That's the sum and total of it.  Here's Wellness Mama's review if you want more info.

http://wellnessmama.com/7859/deep-nutrition/ 

Tips of good nutrition (how to carry it out in your life).  She calls them the 4 Pillars of Nutrition (found in many different types of diets, but primarily think of gourmet French cuisine).  

1. Meat cooked on the bone

2. Organ meats

3. Fermented and sprouted grains and vegetables

4. Fresh food (raw milk, fresh veggies and fruit)

In a nutshell

TO DO:

-drink more milk (raw, organic, full fat as possible)

-sugar free nut butters

-sprouted grain breads

-instead of boxed and instant cereals, eat toast with butter or eggs for breakfast

-buy Bubbie's sauerkraut and pickles or learn to make your own lacto-fermented veggies

-eat lots of healthy oils- olive, coconut, macadamia nut, palm, lard, tallow, and butter

-make your own salad dressings

-eat lots of large salads

-use fresh herbs often

-use canned fish with the bones in (and eat the bones)

-eat more liver (1x week)

-make bone broth 2x week (more if you have any sort of health issues)

-eat bone in meats- whole chickens and turkeys, beef with bones (roasts) - make stock with bones after

-if eating boneless meats, make gravy with homemade stock to get equivalent nutrients

TO AVOID:

-any vegetable oils and margarines (canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, etc)

-sugars of all sorts (lower immunity and have no added benefits)

-juice unless freshly squeezed

-energy and health bars (anything prepackaged)

-boxed cereals

-fried foods

-powdered milks or things made with them

-premade salad dressings

-low-fat products including dairy, salad dressings, baked goods

She claims that vegetable oils and sugar are the two things that are the most detrimental to health.  Overall a good informative read.  It fits in with all the other nutrition books I've read which all encourage getting back to real food and saying goodbye to all the prepackaged junk that big box stores try to sell us.

Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig

OK, now.  Onto the next book.  It's called Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig.  Same ones who wrote Nourishing Traditions also.  Lots of great info on what makes fats good or bad (kind of boring) and then what the good fats do for you (amazing!)  I can't think that coconut oil is really that good for you (all good, no bad, a miracle basically), but I think that incorporating it into your diet is beneficial in so many ways. (as seen in this post)  Mary Enig is a Lipidologist (a doctor of fats, since the 1960's) and she knows her stuff.  She's one of the brave ones that went up against companies like Frito Lay to get bad fats labeled on their packaging (since obviously they weren't going to eliminate them!)

They answer these questions:

"-Have you relied on fat-free foods and counted fat grams to lose weight only to find that your weight has plateaued and you always feel hungry?

-Do you avoid red meats, butter and eggs to lower your cholesterol but lack sufficient energy to make it through the day?

-Do you eat margarine because of a family history of heart disease, but feel listless and depressed?

-Do you eat so-called healthy meals (like a salad with no-fat dressing), only to be overtaken by cravings that drive you to eat fatty foods, such as chips, french fries, doughnuts or ice cream?

Or perhaps you have these symptoms:

-Has your weight been slowly creeping up?

-Is it impossible to lose that last 10 lbs no matter how hard you try?

-Have your energy and enthusiasm drooped?

-Do you still feel hungry after you've finished a meal?

-Do you crave fried foods, sweets and sugary snacks?

-Do you experience a mid-afternoon energy crash and need caffeine or sweets to get you through the rest of the day?

-Do sharp cravings for fattening foods overwhelm your best intentions to eat healthy, wholesome foods?

-Do you feel too fatigued to exercise, though you know you should?

- Do you blame yourself for your lack of "willpower"?

-Are you resigned to weight gain and fatigue?

-Do you suffer from a chronic disease such as depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, digestive problems, or hormonal imbalances?

Every one of those symptoms can signify a dietary fat deficiency...Because we believe that fats are bad, we're afraid to listen to our bodies."  She goes on to add that most obese people are nutrient starved, rather than just uncontrolled eaters, like society would like us to believe.  By giving our bodies good fats, the cravings for bad fats will go away.

So, they answer these questions and tell how to solve those problems.  The book highly promotes coconut oil, but also cod liver oil too.  With these two oils, pretty much all health problems will be solved over time (along with eating the fats from our meats as well).

Anyhow, there it is in a nutshell!  For more information, go to:

http://www.eatfatlosefat.com/

I also read The Coconut Oil Miracle by Dr. Bruce Fife.  Alot of the same information, but from a different slant.  I won't write a whole review, but here's his website with all it's informational goodness!
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/index.htm

Book Review- Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski (4th Edition)

Due to my recent acquisition of a library card, I've been ordering all the books that I've wanted to read for quite some time without one.  I had put them on my Amazon wish list, in hopes of buying them someday but then ended up being able to get quite a few of them through our local library system.  I'm a nutrition junkie who is always so curious about how the body works and what makes things better and worse, that sometimes I wear myself out.  (I also wore out my nursing school instructor with my millions of questions of how's and why's.  She'd say, "You don't need to know that, Rachel.  You'll have to stay after class if you want to learn more."  So I did.  Almost every day.)   Anyhow, I am going to try to share the wealth that I'm learning in case some of it may be of help or interest to you too.  These books are available in the Fort Vancouver system, for you locals.

Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski (4th Edition)

"Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion" is the motto on the front of the book.  That sums it up, but I'll add my favorite information too!

She starts out by explaining how your gut is at the center of all body functions, and if it isn't working properly, you'll end up with a host of different problems.  From allergies, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, weight loss struggles, these all can be traced back to digestive roots, even if you have never had digestive complaints.   The saying that the gut is the second brain of the body holds true.

She starts at your mouth and goes through the digestive system to the other end, explaining all the nutrients extracted at each point, and then what happens if that piece isn't working properly, and how to fix it (most of the things you can do at home).  She talks about pre- and probiotics and how essential they are to all diets (due to our increase in "dead" foods), how we need to eat real food (quit reading labels so much and just eat meat, veggies, fruit, good fats).  Her idea is to eat 90% nourishing food and then let the last 10% be "fun" food.  If the food isn't nourishing your body, then what is the point of eating it?  And she explains that cravings are your body telling you of a lack, so listen up.  If you are craving fatty foods, you likely need some good oils/fats (not the doughnut that you think you want!)

She explains what a "leaky gut" is and how people get them and what to do if you have one. (Most Americans do these days for various reasons)  She gives many ways to heal it too.

There is also a few page checklist to see where your digestion may be lacking, and then a section to find out how to heal and improve it.  She talks about pH too. (Acid/base balance) What is good for your body's pH and what is not.  One quote that I thought was interesting was about soda.  She says how a can of cola has a pH of 2.8-3.2 and our body cannot excrete urine more acidic than 5.0.  This means that our body has to bring the pH up to 5.0 and it would take 33 litres of urine to do this (to dilute the cola).  Since nobody drinks that much water to do so, our body then has to pull alkalizing mineral stores from our cells (potassium and magnesium).  If there aren't enough there (which there rarely is in the standard diet) then our body will pull calcium from our bones and teeth (hence the dental epidemic these days).  Sugar has the same effect as cola in that our body has to use it's precious minerals to break it down, thus depleting our body of essential minerals.

I guess the sum would be how we can all improve our digestion since most of us are probably lacking in some way or another.  She follows an algorithm for healing the gut which is pretty straight forward and easy to do as well.  If you go to her website you can find out more, since I can't write too much due to copyright issues.   A very informative, educational read for a nutrition geek like myself!

http://www.digestivewellnessbook.com/  

Under "extras" she has her 10 food/diet guidelines and some quizzes to see what direction you should take with your own digestion.  Also look up "functional medicine" which is in that same section.  She explains how to find a good practitioner and what the differences are between it and conventional medicine (which is what most of us are used to).  She likes them to all work together, rather than in separate entities for overall good health.

Christmas Letter 2012

Greetings!  As this year comes to a close, it gives us time to reflect on the past.  In doing so, we hope that we have gained some wisdom and become more as Christ would want us to be.  Some lessons seem harder to learn though, so it’s a good thing we’re all a “work in progress”.  We are so thankful for forgiveness full and free through Jesus’ birth, death and glorious resurrection!

We’ve been occupying our time this past year mostly tending to the needs and wants of our 4 little ones (sometimes hard to discern the difference).  There just isn’t much time left after that!  With it come a lot more laughs and a few more grey hairs.

So, here’s Luke (7), “I like this time of year.  We get to stay inside and do fun things like projects and crafts.  I like to make cookies and cakes and bread and stuff like that.  I like school, especially writing stories in my journal and doing speed drills in math.” (Mom’s note: we rarely bake OR do crafts.  He does love it when we do though!)

Luke was a ring bearer in  Greg's cousin's wedding this summer.

James (5), “We are having a good time.  We are just having a good time.  I like to play with my cars and Legos.  I am learning to read and do my math with toy cars.  I love Christmas because it’s Jesus’ birthday and we get presents.”

James at the wedding (he didn't want to be in the wedding)

Elise (3), “I don’t know what to say.  I am wearing my sparkly dress that looks like a Christmas tree today.  I think that Santa should only bring presents to the poor children, because the rest of the kid’s parents can buy them some.”

Elise, flower girl extraordinaire

Isaac (14 months), “Da, da, do, da!”  (and “Dad” and “Mam”)  He’s busy getting into everything possible and destroying it (happily, I might add).  He screeches if anything doesn’t go his way, and is working on a couple more teeth (hence the screeching).  It’s a good thing he’s so cute, as it is much easier forgive his lack of social graces!

Isaac, glad finder of someone's forgotten cup

Greg has been busy all fall working on putting in a sauna for us.  We are so looking forward to that.  In this rainy climate, we must take extra measures to stay warm and comfortable, and I’m sure this will help.  I have just been sticking to the basic daily stuff.  It seems like the messes never end, the dishes never stop and the kids don’t quit growing.  Keeping up on it all is enough for me, as well as getting in our daily doses of schoolwork, reading, going for a walk, and playing.  We also enjoyed one nice dose of Canada in August, and a short dose of Florida (for Greg’s Grandpa Davidson’s funeral) in October.

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Wishing you God’s Peace and Love now at Christmas and always,

Rachel and all