A Great NATURAL Alternative for Acidity Troubles...

My dh has been plagued for years with stomach issues. He's had medicines and scopes and the whole 9 yards but battling with this myself during pregnancies and off and on the last year or so, I read up a little on the medicines, prescribed and over-the-counter, and I didn't like what I found.

I bought this product and asked him in my nice, sweet, caring wifely way if he would try it. It works!

I tried it myself last week and it worked for me too!

But not just for that problem- for LOTS of other tummy troubles too! (We won't get graphic ;-)
But you can follow the link here to Amazon and read the maker's claims:



We love it! Its all natural and all safe! Woo hoo!

Interesting post about IBD...

Misinformation about Linoleic acid, Ulcerative Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

This doctor deals with the link between these diseases and vegetable oils. Very interesting!

He also deals with "Misinformation about linoleic acid and red meat".

Can't help but to wonder, did these diseases take off right after they told us that margarine was THE food to eat!

Working in some nourishing food...as condiments!

I have really enjoyed experimenting with many of the recipes from Nourishing Traditions. I feel like a mad scientist! The hard part is corralling my family!!!

Just the other day my DH walked in and asked what I was making and once I told him, he said; "I hope you're not funkifying something!" I looked at him and asked what he was talking about (as if I didn't know). He said; "I never know what you are going to do to stuff...like soak it in peanut butter.." I was too busy rolling in the floor to hear the end of the sentence!

But there is one fermented food that has gained some favor! Wanna guess which one? Yes, its simply kraut! I've been able to make it with sausage and that went over very well! They almost thought they were eating the REAL STUFF from a can! ;)

My oldest saw me putting it on sandwiches and hamburgers so he will now ask for it!

I've also tried putting just a tiny spoon of it on their plates with beans since some of them have eaten chow-chow that was slightly sour and loved it. My next plan is to serve it with turkey hot dogs. I just want to try an old "kraut and wienies" out on them, since I know that some of them like it!

Another thing that they have liked is the Ginger Ale recipe!

Now, if only I could win them over on the Gingered Carrots......sigh...

But, remembering to use them as "condiments" and noting that just a spoon or two will do...makes it much more do-able to work it in!

For more Kitchen Tips, please visit TAMMY'S RECIPES!

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How are some of you smuggling in your fermented or cultured foods???? :-)

I'm open to all forms of smuggling!

My latest experiment!

I love the kefir sodas mentioned in NT and Eat Fat Lose Fat!

But I love coming up with new ones even more- it's just fun!

This time, I tried orange juice and kefir! It worked pretty good, but I might should have added a little cane sugar as it took a little longer to work its magic!

The kids were not as fond of this one- one of them said it tasted like buttermilk and orange juice!

Rejuvelac...

Rejuvelac, made from sprouted wheat, Works For Me! Soak wheat berries for 24 hours in filtered water. You can use as little as one cup of wheat (or other grain) and enough water to cover the grains plus an inch or two more. I used more wheat here so as to make Bulgar with some.

You can see I've used some old 'stockings' and a rubberband for the top. Keeps everything in and everything out! :-)

After soaking 24 hours, drain water and store at an angle in a dark cabinet. You will need to rinse grains with filtered water 3 times during the next 24 to 36 hours. (They will sprout during this time and its important to rotate them and rinse them.)

See? Sprouts!

There's lots of things that you can do with sprouts at this point.

If you have a copy of Nourishing Traditions, there's lots of things in there.

You can refrigerate, and use in salads.

There are some wet breads made from sprouted grains like this...you could even sprout multiple grains and make a Sprouted Grain Bread.

You can dry them and make Bulgar. Then you have a grain that has been pre-soaked so you can cook as cereal or grind and you have an instant grain with no need for soaking!

Ok, now on to the Rejuvelac!

Have I told you how much I love this drink?

It is sort of like a lemonade but no where near that sour.

Now that the grains are sprouted, fill the container with water. (Here I've used a gallon pickle jar. I have several of these jars and they come in very handy for soaking grains and nuts. People who drink raw milk also like to use these after thoroughly cleaning with baking soda to remove odors!)

Store filled jar in dark cabinet for 24 hours, covered with some sort of screen. It must have air.

Here's a pic of some of the sprouted wheat that I dried to make Bulgar.


After soaking sprouted grains for 24 hours, strain water and Wallah! -here's your Rejuvelac!
The grains can be used to make one more batch of Rejuvelac and then discarded for bird food.


Here's some Rejuvelac and a batch in the making!
(I don't suggest storing it in a milk jug, maybe a jug that just had water in it, but not one that's had milk. I usually store it in one of the glass pickle jars but I had all of the "working" soaking almonds and walnuts! ;-)
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This is one of my favorite drinks!
If you have any troubles with your digestive system, this will help you!
You can drink several glasses of this a day. One site suggests a quart a day!

A fun product to try....

I've always liked black licorice...I'm just sort of weird that way.

But this licorice takes it to a whole new level!

Real licorice is good for you!

It is said to be an expectorant, helps the adrenals, and is antispasmodic in the bowels so its good for people with bowel disease!

*You can buy licorice root from Bulk Herb Store to make tea from!

Don't Wait, Weight...get lost!

Okee dokee... I posted last week, or was it week before? hmmm They all run together sometimes, but anyway, I posted about finding weight, because I am indeed very good at that, especially of a late. (uhmm hmm, excuse me..) Sorry, its very hard for me to confess it but the truth is, through this winter, the "scales have not looked favorably on me"!

Now, I am NOT gonna tell you how much weight I have found-- my husband could read this!!! But I will say, that I've had 6 children and before the first was born I weighed around 150 and I kept my weight there fairly easily through many years after having babies. (In high school, I weighed around 140 just FYI. ;-) ...After the fourth baby was born, I had a crazy few years. During part of that time, I lost about 35 pounds and I looked really bad. Yucky! My face looked sunken. But during that time I found that I really, really enjoyed being somewhere around 128! I could wear the kind of clothes that I wanted, without looking dumpy! I will always have a belly, but my belly was more tolerable to me. ....I had two more babies, got the weight right back off and life went on.

Well, about 2 years ago, I got up to 140 and believe it or not, DH was happier about that! ..Said my face looked more plump or something. (I said, of course it does, its stuffed with chocolate!!!) But anyway, this winter, I've blown it...just blown it! And I'm quite aggravated about it! And - I'm not 140 and I'm certainly not my preferred 128! (I feel like flopping on the floor! But I won't -but it would burn a few calories! ;-)

So,
I'm having to discipline myself, my eating, and my thinking-again!
Because, extra weight is just way too emotional, and really unhealthy for me. (I have ulcerative colitis, my chances for cancer are double the average person since I've had this for over 15 years now and the more fat I pack in my belly, the greater the risk! I've had polyps before as well, not good.)

It is hard, it is tough, but I can do it! With me though, I must confess, that I just have to get mad about it! I have to admit that I'm a little weak that way. I have to get my emotions charged.

Now,
Onto some things that I have found helpful in the past, besides my point in the last statement. (emotions must be charged=determination)

-k, gotta say it again, I personally have to get mad about it. Sick of it and sick about it. (Else nothing will happen, except perhaps 'finding' more.)
-Watch what I'm eating. I have a big problem with never fixing a plate for myself (after I fix 7 plates and refill them - I don't wanna see another one! ;-). But in doing this, or rather not doing this, I nibble allllll dayyyyy longgggg! I actually think I can get by with this and forget what all I have eaten ;and forget that I'M NOT EVEN HUNGRY! -Nibbling is good for me however, IF I don't go hog wild and pig crazy!
-Eating when I'm hungry! not all day long nibbling (Can I really expect my body to burn what it didn't even ask for?)
-If I do fix a plate- no seconds.
-If I want a sweet after I eat, only eat half the normal amount at that meal.
-You can actually get by on half a sandwich almost as good as a whole one! And by that, you can guess what I mean I suppose- I actually feel better when I eat until I'm no longer hungry rather than 'til I'm full =stuffed. AND, often, especially if I get used to this, I'm no hungrier any sooner than if I eat the whole sandwich.
-I must- MUST- know that I CANNOT eat every little thing that everyone else in this house eats. They could have a box of donuts a couple of times a week and be fine, but not me! Once every couple of months, maybe, but I can't eat like them. For example, I NEVER EVER eat anything from McD's ...if IF IF we do get to order from the dollar menu that is! (For many reasons; ONE, I get sick- every time. TWO, I don't know what's in there and I don't want it; but I won't argue about it, I just won't eat it. THIRD, it is loaded with weird fats and that I do know.) But if I'm really hungry, I'll eat a yogurt parfait.
-For like reasons, there's many foods that I have just 'written off'. I near never buy them and if someone else does, I still don't eat them. I consider them treats for the kids and I don't think about it anymore. Things like boxed cakes and chips. They are only bought every few months and I won't eat them. I've just decided that those are off my list=they're not even food in my book! :-) That thinking helps me!
-Discouragement must be conquered! Being a female can be quite tough when it comes to emotions. But just like we expect those of the opposite gender to ignore certain 'notions' we can likewise learn to 'die' to some of ours. Basing what I eat and how I eat on how I feel, is UNACCEPTABLE! If I have bad 'feelings' the I have to change them, by choice or by actions; period! It is my personal responsibility to control my thoughts and feelings. Likewise, it is my responsibility to deal with my weight.
-Excuses are excuses. And boy can I have them! Wanna hear mine? Ok, here goes starting from the fall: exercise machine broke, garden time was over, winter which means indoors all the time, I cook 3 meals a day and I HAVE to taste them!, puppies equals being somewhat bound for potty-training purposes, Dh works at home and I am NOT gonna bounce around in front of him and on top of that he wants me to taste this or that all of the time;-), and you know I have six kids that have to be watched all of the time, right? There they are! I know 'em, now you know 'em- now I have to just lump it and fight to work around those things that 'so easily beset' me!
-Now for my final point and it is the one that I most often have to rely on. It is going to shock some of you, I am sure, because we live in a land of (a great big bunch of) plenty. But Paavo Airola said it best when he said something like: Most people find it easier not to eat at all rather than to reduce what they eat. (I'm in that number!)

Now I know you may think I'm nutty and that's okay if you do, but it HAS worked for me and worked very very well with the fastest results which kept me motivated AND it did help me spiritually as well. What am I talking about? Oh, :-) ..fasting.

Now hold on...there are different ways to do it and some of you may need to consult with your doctor first but- it does work.

You can do it the way Laura did from Canada. She's lost 70 pounds in just a few months, 27 weeks to be exact. She lost 33 1/2 pounds in right at 2 months! I think she is doing optifast which I think is a little like Slimfast? I will see if she will post a little here to tell us more in the comments!!

But anyway, Paavo Airola wrote about "Fasting to Lose''. This link is like what he taught, dealing with juice (fruit and veggie) fasting and the like. This link from that page is especially good, dealing with weight loss and detox specifically.

But as you can see, I'm not dealing with a total fast. I'm dealing with liquid fasts. My personal results have been a pound a day, after the first day. I've also noticed that the hunger, headaches, etc. get better after the third day. The less caffeine, sugars, processed foods, that you are on, the less the headaches will be, however, I have allowed some caffeine in some of my fasts in the beginning, to help with this and because I really love them so! But several of Airola's books can be found in my A-store if you happen to be interested.

But, now you know a little more about me (gulp!) and a little about what has worked for me when I've gotten lucky enough to lose some weight, rather than find it! :-)

Kefir Pear Soda............

I love an adventure--even if it's only in my own kitchen! This is sooooooo yummy! And I must say, it's a step up from the Beet Kvass that I made a few days ago;-) The Kvass is salty, yet quite fizzy but this is sweet, yet kefir-ish.

I used about 1 1/2cups of leftover pear juice from making sauce and jelly, 1/2 cup of cane sugar and a pack of kefir powder. I then filled my jar with filtered water. Let it sit for 2 days and strain any kefir clumps and keep about 1/2 cup to start the next batch.

Which I did like this:

the second batch has about 1/4 cup of ground (fresh) ginger, juice of 2 large limes, and the leftover starter batch from the above.

These ideas started as a result of an anonymous poster when I blogged about Kombucha without a scoby.

It's crazy, I know, but fun! And it's what Works For Me Wednesday!

(This idea is also in the book by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon, Eat Fat Lose Fat.)

Beet Kvass

My latest fizzy experiment has turned out very well! If you have a copy of Nourishing Traditions, don't be afraid to try some of the wonderful drinks!

(One doctor on radio, recommends cooked beets or beet juice at night and lemon water in the morning as a remedy for constipation. Sounds better than over the counter stuff any day, huh?:)

Living with Ulcerative Colitis

I've been wanting to post about this for a while but due to the embarrassing aspects of it, I debated whether it would be appropriate. But considering my blog is primarily about food and you 'are what you eat', I think this certainly can tie in and hopefully be a blessing to someone if they happen to stumble across this post on my little blog!:-)


When I was 17, and eating very poorly, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Around the time I turned 27, the problems became much, much worse and I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and then Ulcerative Colitis. This involved several dozen trips to the bathroom a day as well as bleeding. I tried to shrug it off as long as possible but I became pregnant with baby #3 and lost a bit of weight and became very sick. (6 weeks of terrible sickness and bleeding, without any let up.) The doctor became so concerned at one point that he actually took the time to send me a certified letter urging me to seek more medical attention and try more medicines. (I had already tried 3!) It was making me feel very emotional and causing a great deal of contention around me. I felt desperate and helpless.


I researched the drugs, prayed, decided to try to eat better, and just left it in God's hands. I told the Lord that I trusted Him more than I did the medicines to take care of me and the baby. He did, the baby and I were fine. The U.C. went into what they call a remission stage.


But, with lots of stress in my life and making only minor dietary changes, I got sick again. And again. There were days that I didn't feel like I could leave the house because I would have accidents, losing all control of my body. I was humiliated. This sickness was ruining my life.


I then began to make more drastic modifications to my diet. I began to keep more mental notes about what would make me instantly sick. Fast food, McDonald's in particular, was like food poison to my system. White flour caused constipation problems which led to diarrhea problems. I began to make my own bread, then went on to grinding my own wheat.


I did pretty good for a couple of years, then with baby #6, it all came back. Looking back, I must say that stress, seemed to be a huge factor in these 'episodes' for me. Now that I am more free from daily heavy stress, I am much better.


But I have made more and more radical adaptations to my diet and my family's diet.


Now, I must say, that when a person is having a flair-up with this disease, the intestinal track is very sensitive and more caution must be taken.


But, I really believe that the changes in my diet have helped me stay 'healthy'. I haven't had a big flair-up in over 7 years now.


What have I done?


Well, I continue to eat whole wheat as often as possible. I do mix half and half sometimes but I resist eating a big portion of white flour like the plague! I also eat many other whole grains.


One of the best things that I ever started doing was incorporating ground flax into my diet. This really helps my belly and I can sneak it into almost anything. I have found it very helpful if I feel the least bit-well, you know- to take a spoon and mix it into a cup of water and drink it at bedtime.


The BEST way to avoid any upset for me is to avoid becoming the least bit, umm, irregular. It starts a terrible cycle, so I have learned to make sure that I get a daily big dose of fiber.


Breakfast is a great place to get a good dose of fiber-- oatmeal with a little ground flax. I also enjoy 5 and 7 grain hot cereals. I have recently discovered 'soaking my grains' from many other bloggers and books that has helped me to tolerate these high fiber foods even better. I will elaborate more on this.


If I don't get a high grain in at breakfast, I usually try to make sure that I serve a whole wheat pasta or bread later in the day.


I also do not drink pop. I only have it once in a blue moon if we're out as a 'treat', but never on a daily basis. If that stuff can clean a toilet, what can it do to our tummy?!?!


I have also worked very hard over the last couple of years to up my family's fruit and vegetable servings. I try to make sure lunch has 1/2 a plate of veggies and/or fruit and our dinner has 1/2 to 3/4 veggies and/or fruit. At least that's how it normally works out!


I have also been keeping less junky stuff in the house like chips and more things like carrot sticks.


I try to make sure that 'smoothies' are a part of our regular menu. That gives an allowance for lots of goodies; flax, yogurt, fruit, and even spinach on occasion! :-)


I even try to make more of my desserts with fruit and grains, rather than white sugar and white flour.


While I have not had a big flair-up in years, I still go through times where things aren't quite right. I sometimes will have a couple of days of colic like symptoms every evening and I can't figure out why.


But one thing that I've done that seems to help with this is more cultured/fermented dairy foods such as yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk. I try very hard to make sure to get one hefty serving a day and several little ones in this and that.


I am in the process, through bloggers and books, of learning more and more about fermenting foods which I believe will only continue to help me.


This week, I've made something called Rejuvelac that seems to have a really positive effect on how I feel.


There's so much to learn!


But there is so much hope! God is so good and He's given so many wonderful foods that promote healing.


I hope to post more about this in the future. Until then, here's a few links about this subject and there are many great articles on this site! http://www.westonaprice.org/tour/index.html


Here's a link to Wikipedia, dealing with probiotics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic#Reducing_Inflammation


And here's one more dealing with a possible (and weird) cure for many auto-immune diseases:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy

Do I eat perfect? All the time? No- but I sure do feel better when I eat better! :-)