“To everything there is a season…”

“To everything there is a season…” Ecc 3:1

Autumn is my favorite season. And I love decorating with a fall theme. I am not that into Halloween. It has just never grabbed me and my kids never really liked it until they were teens and then it was just to scare each other. The candy thing was always a pain. Do you let them eat it? Do you parse it out, a little at a time?  Have you ever found Easter Candy in July? Well, I have found Halloween candy in August! As the kids got older, we started a family tradition where we would take them to dinner and a movie. The next day, we would take them shopping for one bag of candy each – it was always on clearance – and they usually got more than if they would have trick-or-treated, and they got exactly what they wanted. Worked for me. Tonight, I am attending a pumpkin carving party. We’re supposed to wear costumes. That is so not me. And we got 6″ of snow last night. Kind of dims the party spirit.

The party was actually fun. The people were so very nice. And I had a great time. The pumpkin carving was funny. I was able to drive to and from our friend’s very isolated home, up steep and icy roads, without a problem – I was quite proud of myself. And during this party, I found myself seated at the table…right in front of some cute cupcakes and some sort of peanut butter dip covered in Reese’s Pieces, to be scooped up by chocolate ghost cookies! And after a short chat with a new friend, I was even offered a drink of 15-year old Macallan Scotch!!! The absolute torture!!!

For those of you who know me, I would much rather have one to two fingers of scotch, neat, than pretty much any other alcoholic beverage. Even after discovering Chocolate Martinis – I still prefer my scotch. And the thing is, I am still on Whole30. Part of the program is no sugar in any form – and no alcohol in any form. None. So far, so good. Today is day 24. About a week to go before we add things back in. Now before you freak out, I had no problem sitting in front of all that sugar. I kept seeing chemicals and pasty-feeling frosting on my tongue and I was not even tempted. I happily reached for the fresh baby carrots and celery sticks. Truly. I did not miss it at all. I was sorely tempted by the scotch (it was Macallan!!) but that was about it.

Don’t feel too badly for us. Tonight we are having the recipe above – Pork Shoulder Roast with Butternut Squash and tomatoes. I am opting out of the kale, because we are just not kale people. But we are not suffering in the recipe department. Last night I made bacon-wrapped chicken breasts on sliced white sweet potatoes and a side of green beans with garlic. It was amazing! We are devouring eggs and we discovered British Breakfast Smoked Bacon. Oh my goodness – where have you been all my life??? No sugar added. No extra salts or seasonings that are not compliant. It is delicious. We have adopted many butternut squash recipes. I love to eat them but not so much in the prepare department. They are a pain to peel and gut and dice! Ha-Ha.  But they are so tasty! We have discovered that our taste buds were somehow in a coma. We could not taste – we thought we could, but truly, we did not taste. Now, I am in love with all these amazing spices and ways of cooking. I had to go out and buy two more pans because I kept running out. The prep is a  lot but I am re-discovering my joy of cooking.

I learned how to prepare my own sausage from organic ground pork. It’s simple and fast and we have found we like the flavor much better. I discovered a new way to make meatballs (a family tradition in the Kaiser household) and we discovered we like that recipe better, as well. We have slowly converted our teen son to a better way of eating. He is still eating snacks a lot, but his meals are far better. His choices are better. We found this recipe for “Mexican” meat that is so good. We fry it up and put it on a bed of raw spinach and mixed greens, topped with salsa and guacamole. Oh my goodness! The teenager had seconds. And asked that I make it again.

The journey of Whole30 has taught us so much about how we have been trained to eat. How we have also been trained to shop. It truly is less expensive to shop the perimeter of the store! We buy a grocery cart full of fresh ingredients and spend far less that we ever have. I have learned that I actually prefer WALNUT OIL and APPLE CIDER VINEGAR with simple salt and pepper on my salads. I even cook with it. But you have to know that prior to this, I was a heavy ranch and thousand island user! I would dip in it. I would cook with it. I would slather my salads with it. I loved my dressing. But now, I am enjoying the taste of my salads, enhanced by a mild oil and vinegar. Wow. This is big for me. It is huge. Whole30 is changing my relationship with food, and with my kitchen!

Because we shop for pretty much all fresh ingredients, I have discovered Mason Jars! Oh my goodness. I have all my dried fruits and nuts in them. We go through them so quickly. I love making my own “trail mix” using fresh, bulk-bought, dried fruits and nuts. I now love shredded coconut with no sugar, and add it to a mix of nuts and fruits and keep in my purse for a pick-me-up. Mason Jars are pretty awesome. You can see what you’ve got and what you are running low on. I am using small and large ones, not having discovered the need for medium ones, yet (give me time). And this week, I am re-doing my kitchen insofar as organizing it for easier prep and use. Whole30 has up-ended our lives.

Another thing that Whole30 has done is positively affected our budget. One way, other than eating fresh ingredients made at home, is that we have not dined out. Most of the dishes served locally are very non-compliant with Whole30 guidelines. And for now, that is fine. We mostly miss the convenience of grabbing a bite on late, rushed evenings. And we miss the social aspect of Saturday morning breakfast with our grandkids at a local Grill. But, we are eating better and we are eating simpler. And we are sharing it so much, that we are seeing others adopt the process, including some people very close to us, just by modeling this behavior. Eating simple and cleanly has changed not only how we see food, or taste food, but it is slowly changing how our bodies absorb food. Our bodies were so used to using quick energy from sugar-ladened foods, that they are now learning to grab energy from our fat stores, and the healthy fats we are feeding ourselves. This process has causes a few reactions. We have found ourselves sluggish and days of a headache or two. But as we are starting to see the finish line, we are not questioning the process.

This process has caused me to think more about the end of the day when we gather for dinner, the breakfasts and lunches we will share and prepare as the family goes about its day, and the healthy snacks we will consume in-between. We have become planners and label-readers. We have become more concerned about content and quality, rather than quantity.

But one of the most amazing things, is that it truly has taken the emphasis off food for food, and replaced it as food for health. Think about that. Why would I ingest a BigMac meal with fries and a soda? I can feed my body a healthy meal, for less money, less negative affect on my body, and with very little effort? Convenience? We need to stop being so lazy. The recipe above has you gather whatever you have left over insofar as fruits and veggies, and with some spices, add them to eggs for breakfast…or lunch…or dinner. Why not? I no longer crave McDonald’s fries. No more. It’s simply not tasty for me, nor worth the damage to my body. I do crave that British Breakfast bacon and some eggs over medium. Yum. With a side of a sliced apple. Yes, please. And one of the biggest things? I have discovered that I actually love the taste of coffee. For coffee. Not the creamer or sugar I had added to it. I like black coffee. Who knew? I actually went to a business meeting at one of our local coffee houses and ordered decaf drip, black (it was at night – still can’t do caffeine late in the day!!) in an awesome mug…with free refills. First.Time.Ever.

I am not sure, once we reach day 31, what I want to add back. I do not miss bread or crackers or cookies or cake or noodles or rice or cheese or many of the other things I have not eaten. My first thing to add back? I have thought long and hard about this. And to be perfectly honest, I am not sure. I am enjoying learning to eat this way. I am proud that my body is now getting better nutrition. And I am not sure if I want to re-introduce the things I have loved eating without. There are a lot of Whole30 graduates who pretty much adopt the Whole30 lifestyle in perpetuity. We just might. My husband misses pizza. I think I would scrape the toppings and cheese off and skip the crust part. Maybe. Sometimes what we think we are addicted to, we really are not. We are just in a rut or have developed a bad habit. And Whole30 challenges you to break these habits. It challenges you to think about your choices. It challenges you to choose healthy over convenience. And I have always liked being that stick in the river, refusing to go the way everyone else does. Whole30 is not really going against anything, but rather, returning to how we once ate, before chemical additives and boxed everything. Join me! You might be surprised at yourself.

For some, it is not time, yet. It is hard to look at habits and how we live. It is hard to delve into things that are not comfortable. Looking in a mirror is not easy. Trust me. I am overweight and out of shape. I have, however, faced my fear. I have enrolled in a water aerobics class. Ha-Ha. The first laugh is my bathing suit. I have had it since our kids were little. I am surprised the material is still hanging together (sort of scares me, wondering what it is made of). And the other funny thing is I have re-entered the world of the dreaded locker room. When I was in high school there were girls who could walk around naked with no care in the world. Even back then, I could not do it. And being 60 and overweight, it is just not happening. However, those same girls who walked around nude at 14 are still doing it at 70 – and there are some things you just cannot unsee. They are not literally the same people, but are sort of like the same ones, if you get my point. And changing and showering and all of that has been the subject of quite a lot of laughter. The funny thing is that while we do water aerobics, they have children’s swimming lessons. So there are little children from toddlers with their swimming diapers all the way through to us old grandmas, running around the locker room and shower area. The noise level is hysterical – my head just about explodes! But the sights are quite something to see.

Do not poo-poo water aerobics. Join me, I dare you. During the night right afterwards, I am already rolling over in bed, aching. This last class caused me to wake in the night to revisit my oils and relieve some of the aches and pains, and to ensure a restful night of sleep. It’s been two days and I am off to play with those silly noodles and water barbells again tonight. Those barbells, made of foam, are no joke, either. My arms are killing me. But I am moving. I am out and about. I am giving my body the proper nutrition, and I am moving all my muscles. Movement is so important, even if it is just to walk to the corner and back again. To stroll through the mall. To park the furthest away at the store and walk in (except for in ice and snow – I park as close as possible). The Whole30 program challenged us in more ways than one. I know it has been life changing and I cannot see us returning to the lazy ways, the lazy days, prior to Whole30. And I’m not sure if we’ll add foods we have done with out for 30 days, back into our diets. We are still thinking about the long term process, once we realize the full affects of this program. It is pretty amazing, and so very simple. Think about it, and, again, think about joining us!

 

 

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“…God will have the last word.”

I really should be doing something else. But my heart has been heavy for months now. I have piles of laundry and the dust boulders have slaughtered the dust bunnies (so sad). My kitchen overwhelms me right now. But I know I have got this. Or I will get to it. I am confident in that. So I am allowing myself time to heal. Not sure what to heal from, but it sort of feels like coming out of a cocoon. The funny thing is that snow is almost here. Which is odd because most people feel that pull from winter to bust out and celebrate the sunshine, etc. I have always been a little odd. So I feel like I am putting off summer, and everything from it, and waiting desperately for the quiet and peace of snow…pretty lights…fires in the wood stove…the scents of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am so looking forward to it.

Some people say that there are things afoot that will happen this winter. There are all sorts of conspiracies out there. And some point to some sort of energy crisis, not accidental but on purpose, that wreaks havoc on the world. One of those blasts that stops all computers and cars and engines. Or perhaps Russia will get angry enough about Syria and send some bombs our way. Or perhaps there will be an uprising because of all the civic unrest in our cities over so many subjects. This presidential election has certainly been one of disgust in the caliber of those running. Dirt is flying all over the place. It is becoming more of a dirt-flinging contest than a “this is what I will do for you as your next President” conversation. Underlying all of that are the problems with the parties being disgusted with their own candidates. I will not judge. Are there things in my past I regret? Are there vocabulary words I wish I had not bandied about? Hey, I was in a sorority and a little sister at a fraternity. I know some pretty saucy drinking songs. That is not something to brag about. It is something to repent over. Have I made poor choices in my life, before becoming a wife and mother? You bet I have. Thanks be to God, He is there, helping me up each time I fall. Repentance is between the repentant and the forgiver. It is not for public consumption. And I cannot not, nor will I, judge another’s words or behaviors from decades ago. There is plenty of dirt flying around both camps that take care of that for me. But all of this weighs heavily on my heart. I feel like this is a precursor to much more to come.

“Woe to the shepherd who misled and scattered the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered the my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 23: 1-4

I cling to Scriptures like this when I get all depressed about our world and our country, even our church or local faith communities. And I realize that there are much greater things going on than we can see, from our little perspective. We sit in our homes, our cars, our churches, at our jobs, and we make huge proclamations about the world and life. When those in power make a decision, we decry their idiocy. I do it, too. Sometimes when the Pope makes a statement, I actually cringe. But I don’t sit where he sits. When some dignitary makes a weird statement, I try not to argue back at the TV. I’m in a little town in Alaska. How can I judge the world-wide stage from some little backwater place?

God, however, has the ultimate view. He sees it all, from the inception of the world (“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.” Genesis 1:3) to its bitter end (“Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with Me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelations 22:13). And I know He is keeping an eye out for us all. He promised so much to those who believe. He said to Peter (and to us), “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on the earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”… (Matthew 16:18-19). He has set his guard around His Church and not even Hell can destroy it. Some people believe there is evil in this world and it is afoot and doing its best to bring about total chaos, the total rejection of religion, and even a one-world-government. Some even say that a certain Democratic candidate has it in for the Jewish, Evangelical, and Catholic Churches in particular, which are seen as the enemy. Why? Because we stand for the basic biblical principles this nation was founded on, in the words of our founders (please take a minute to read this. It is crucial we all know what we are up against):

Declaration of Independence:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

At times it is okay to say “enough is enough” and to clean house and get a fresh start. Sort of like me, with my piles of laundry and dust boulders in my hallway. Sometimes it is okay to just say “enough” and start again, renewed with vitality and strength and purpose, because we are just tired. Tired of how it is and where it is going. Our country is getting to that point where we need to just start over. Not abolish what was established by our Founders; not at all. We need to get back to that foundational culture. We’ve swerved so far out of our lane, we’re close to crashing into others. (Like Russia, or the various  powers of the Middle Eastern terrorists, ISIS, and others who would see this country forever altered). I am not in fear for our Church. No country, no ideology, no government, will change our beliefs. The Church survived years under the communists in Russia and is once again thriving. It survived because mothers and grandmothers kept praying and teaching their children – they would not bow to communism in their homes. On the surface, yes, they capitulated so they could have shelter and food on the tables for their families. But in the night, behind darkened windows, they shared the Truth of God with their children. And now the faith has once again seen the light of day, it is flourishing. In the USA, at present, a certain candidate thinks there is power in going against the Catholic Church by getting subversives in there. That is such wrong thinking. It is the ROMAN Catholic Church…not the American Catholic Church. If that person wants to change the Church in America, then they would have to visit the Vatican. It isn’t happening, regardless of what those 3% of dissenters want. If they want change, they can find it in a different Church. Evangelicals are also not going anywhere. They hold fast to the Truths found in Scripture. The Right-to-Life, ProFamily stances on marriage, sexual Identity issues…they hold to the Biblical principles on all these issues, as does the Catholic Church. We are united in defending these principles. How do you think Target is doing with their bathroom stance and the boycott? Christians are starting to wake up and realize that they are in the majority. We can do this. We can take our country back, and return it to the country we all love. And we can clean the House and Senate, even our local legislators can be changed. This vote is pivotal. The Supreme Court will forever be changed this election cycle. Think about it.

And so it is almost winter. Things are happening. Yes, things are moving at a breakneck speed. Some of it is really, really ugly. Some of it is tolerable. Some of it is just a plain joke. And some of it is disgusting. However, change is always hard. It is always requires some sort of sacrifice. It always demands we hunker down and push through whatever it is that is causing us to sink, or whatever it is we need to rise above. I read a blog post recently, and I have searched and searched for it and I can’t find it again. But that post stuck with me. One of the sentiments the author shared was that in our world, in our country, at this moment, we don’t need more of the same. We don’t need another lapdog who takes food from the hands of those with the most tasty power. What we need now is an attack dog that will not take no for an answer, and who will get the job done. An idiom often quoted is that the right person comes along when they are needed most. Was Winston Churchill a pleasant man? By most eyewitness accounts, he was not. He spoke harshly and used profane language, had a wandering eye, and loved his drinks. But was he right for the world during World War II? He certainly was. Another man is General Patton. His antics are legendary, as is his temper. There are countless stories about him, in the field of war and in the arena of politics. He really did not like politicians. He would not suffer idiots or do-nothings. His vulgar language and some of his habits made the news worldwide. But was he the right man to lead our troops in World War II? He certainly proved that. If we look at pivotal moments in history, we, as a culture, were not guided by limp or weak people. And sycophants who bow to foreign leaders, and do not stand in their presence in defense of our country, cannot be tolerated at this moment in our history. In the past, we were guided by guard dogs, who were intent on protecting our way of life. And that is what we need now. America needs strength in leadership so this world will know that we are strong. We have to repair our feckless image on the international stage. We also have to work to become a solid people once again, to love one another regardless. To put away our petty differences and celebrate our unique place in this world. We need to re-establish the America I grew up in, where we did not lock our doors, or worry when the kids were out after dark. We need to get back to that idyllic time when life was safe. I have no blinders on my eyes, but I know there is better than what we have, and where we seem to be headed, should we choose the wrong path.

We need to get back to worshipping and loving God, and loving one another. This election is sticky…all of us are cringing about some part of it. But in the long run, if we honestly face where we have come from and what is looming in our future, for a free people, we need to unite behind one of these proposed leaders. [Side bar: I cannot, in good conscience, support anyone who is not pro-life. It is my line in the sand. Can’t get past that. For me, it determines character. To take innocent life so easily frightens me. It is callous and selfish. It is not about a woman’s right to choose. It is about allowing that human being who has been shown to have a beating heart at 16 days, to live. If it is not convenient for you, you should have thought about that before engaging in the type of behavior wherein the outcome is pregnancy. There is no excuse for abortion – ever. Go ahead and line up your data on saving the mother for me. There is none. As the mother of 9 children and only two of them breathing, talk to me about high risk pregnancy. Nothing you can tell me will change my mind.] Only one of them can be our president. I would suggest reading the Scriptures, reading the Church Fathers on some of these issues, consulting with your clergy, and praying about it. Each of us has their part to play in the outcome in November. The life of our country as we know it, and our world, depends on our participation. We need to do some house cleaning…

I am now going to attack my dust bunnies and laundry piles…

 This and that…

 

“..be ready in season and out of season..”

Well, Whole30’ers, it is our 3rd day. I must say that I have discovered some things I did not know. I love butternut squash! Oh my goodness. I made butternut squash soup last night and it was so very yummy. As a family, we decided that the next time (yes, there will be a next time) I am going to add scallops to it! I added chicken this time, but next time we go seafood. And was it ever filling! Wow! Tonight we will experiment with those Brussel sprouts I spoke about earlier. A friend-of-a-friend posted photos of Brussel sprouts cut in half and sautéed until brown in ghee. With a little crisp bacon?? Yum! It’s on our menu!

I have bought canning jars as I shared before. I have made 2 different vinaigrette dressings and they are in them. I am attempting my own mayonnaise and ketchup and ranch dressing. Wish me luck (my lucky family is my guinea pig!! Ha-Ha!). I am going to look for larger canning jars this time. I need more room!

One of the ideas I have run across is to prepare salads and meals ahead of time and store them in canning jars. Send the hubby off to work with his lunch layered all pretty in a canning jar. All he has to do is shake and it’s ready! And to get rid of all that plastic in your kitchen (which I have been doing the past few years – Tupperware is gone!) and replace it with glass. You can easily store leftovers in canning jars. And you can re-heat in them, too. You’d be surprised where I have found lots of my glassware! Garage sales, thrift shops, online sales, deals at my local store….I have slowly replaced all my plastic bowls and storage with glass. It is cleaner, and it does not leach chemicals into your food. I am trying to also not use the microwave. Boy oh boy, that is one convenience it is going to be hard to stop using, but I am determined.

Hebrews 11:7 “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by.”

I am also stocking up on all sorts of provisions (food, staples, TP, water, my oils and supplements, etc). The weather predictions for this winter are fierce. So many warnings about tons of snow, wind, and very cold temperatures. The Farmer’s Almanac is warning people in the East that last year winter took a vacation! With the storm bearing down on Florida right now, news stories have shown empty shelves in grocery stores and crowded highways as people flee the storm. This year looks to be particularly rough for the east coast, and rainy on the west coast. For us, the Almanac tells us it will be a bit cooler, but also milder insofar as snow is concerned. Except that the old timers around here are warning everyone to be prepared, and that this winter will be extremely cold and there will be lots of snow. Who do you listen to? Well, Noah listened to the Lord and sadly enough, no one else was listening. I keep getting pushed, from somewhere inside of me, to store up food, water, blankets, a generator, extra flashlights and batteries. I think it is the Lord, pushing me to be smart. A local man said to get battery-powered radios, too! We have tons of firewood. At least we think we do. I certainly hope we don’t have to go through all the wood we have stockpiled this season. If we do, I am not sure how we’ll come out the other side! We have a lot of wood. It would be a life-changing winter, that is for sure!

2 Timothy 4:2-5 “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

I believe it is part of our calling to share when the Lord calls us to minister to our family, friends, and community. As I share this walk along my health journey with Whole30, I do believe the Lord has asked me to share my struggles at finding a healthy lifestyle, free from chemicals. I found my incredible Essential Oils and supplements…I simply have to share the graces I have found incorporating EO’s into our lives. I cannot just discover these riches and not share them with others. I have this blog, which a couple of people here and there read, and I hope that this venue allows me to touch just one soul, one life. If each of us were to do that, the Lord would smile.

Matthew 24:42-44 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

There is nothing wrong with being smart and being prepared. I am working diligently on my health and our healthy lifestyle. Hearth and home are a part of that. I am looking into ways to store food and to be able to cook food, should our power go out. We live in a relatively wild area (compared to say, New York City) and help could be a long time coming, or not able to reach our area in time to really help us. That is reality (they don’t call it “The Last Frontier” for nothing). And it behooves us all to realistically look at where we live, what is around us, and what we would do if it all comes crashing down.

The internet is abuzz with all sorts of theories about the state of the world right now. Germany is telling its citizens to stock up on food and water. Other countries are warning their citizens that times are going to get really tough. In the US, this election is getting insanely ridiculous, with both sides seemingly relentless in smearing the other. Mike Pence seems to be the sole rational person in the mix. Dependent upon the outcome, the world could look very differently by January 2017. And that timeframe coincides nicely with the dead of winter. Civil unrest is real, and it is happening all over the world. What if it gets worse? Are you prepared? Could you live without all the medications you take? What about simple things like water? One man said that to be honest, just save aspirin (general medication), water, and bread. You can survive on bread and water. It’s completely outside of Whole30, so I am going to store other things, but the basics are called basic because they are what we can survive on.

“The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4.

And so I keep the faith. Not blindly, but fully aware. In the time of Noah, the people were warned but did not heed the words of God. Noah was given the graces to hear God speak directly to him. He followed God’s word exactly as it was spoken and his family was saved. It feels sometimes like we want to just throw up our hands and cry out, “Come Lord Jesus, come!” (Revelation 22:30)

But honestly, as I have said in previous posts, “We are not guaranteed our next breath” (Fr. Justin Rose) The Lord has a plan. He alone knows when this craziness we call our world, will spin differently. We cannot know what the future holds. There is no reason not to prepare for natural, civil, and national disasters. What’s the downside? I guess it would be having a freezer stocked at all times with so much bread, you will never have to buy it, ever again. Or a basement filled with toilet paper and paper towels, water, and matches. You could have piles of blankets and sleeping bags, paperbacks you can read again, and board games to play. But that’s something I think I would rather have, than empty shelves as everyone flees the coming storm. Glory be to God in all things. And in preparing, being smart, eating to honor His Temple (your body), and living and sharing with one another this love He has shown us.

 

“..I will bless you with food..”

 

“You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness.” Exodus 23:25 (NLT)

I started off my day with my favorite coffee blend. Well, favorite right now. I usually prefer a hazelnut latte, but today, it’s my “bullet-proof coffee,” which I blend up in my NutriBullet blender using African Organic Coffee, Organic Coconut Oil (1 tbls) and Organic Butter (1 tbls). It is pretty darn tasty! And it keeps you satiated for hours. You see, today we are taking our health into our own hands in a serious way, surrounded by careful consideration and drenched with prayer. I wanted to document it, so it helps keep me accountable, in a public way. I am also sharing it with others who are on this same journey, and the camaraderie is pretty amazing. They are supportive and praying for our success. And I thought I would share our journey, as we progress, on my blog. We are implementing the Whole30 program. I would say “diet” but that just connotes so many negative things. This is not a negative thing. The idea behind it is to remove things from your diet that could spark a reaction throughout your body (the most common reaction is some sort of inflammatory response. For me, that is acute and painful arthritis). And remove these things for 30 days. The Whole30 program has narrowed the “things” that most commonly bother us into pretty simple categories. After the 30 days, you slowly, if you want to, add them back in to see what impacts your body in a negative way. A lot of people I have spoken with never add some of these things back into their eating regime, as they find they are happier without them. I am excited to learn about that for us, too.

To clarify, this is not about denying yourself pleasures and not enjoying food. Not at all. The recipes I have found so far have been amazing. Butternut squash soup – marinated steak – Greek salad. Things look mouthwateringly yummy!  People have commented, “Oh, you’re going paleo.” Well, yes and no. Whole30 is not concerned with the historical data about why our ancestors ate what they ate (and the anthropologist in me loves all that information, trust me!!). They are more concerned with how our modern dietary choices are killing us. So, to prepare, we “carbed out” this weekend, at the suggestion from others who have already completed Whole30 more than once.  And ate lots of sugary stuff we don’t normally eat. We even had ice cream – from Cold Stone!! Mexican food with the beans and rice and cheese and sour creams…and the sopapillas for desert!! And pizza. Pizza Hut was so good this time! The cheese and ice cream made my husband cough…it is a link we are exploring. And that is hard for me because I love all things dairy! Ha-Ha! Ice cream, cream, butter, sour cream, cheeses of all kinds…you name it and I like it. But even more than having something I love like dairy – I am tired. Tired of hurting. Tired of being overweight. Tired of not being my best me. And that is the crux of why we are attempting this 30-day journey into better health.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

I am excited because this process incorporates clarified butter, which is the same as Ghee. It is quite simple to make, but plain and flavored Ghee can be found in health food and ethnic stores. (You can also find clarified butter, but it is pretty pricey!). Basically, you cook butter in a pot, on the stove, to melting. When it foams, you remove the foam with a spoon. The foam contains the dairy fats you can live without; the remaining fat is still quite tasty and has lots of nutritive value, and is far better for cooking and baking. In warmer climates it will look sort of like corn oil. Up here, it looks like fairly solid butter. Yay! I can slather it over my potatoes or on my veggies. I found some amazing sauces that I will be trying that have clarified butter as their foundation, even for steaks! Many prominent chefs prefer clarified butter because it doesn’t burn as easily and you can use it at higher temperatures. So my love of dairy will get some help…and I can still make my bullet coffee.

The real killer for us is sugar. In any of its forms. Even stevia at this point. We need to learn to live without it in our lives. Sugar is in just so many things. We have been reading about it in the Whole30 books (“It Starts with Food” is one of their amazing books). I have to tell you, as my husband and I shopped last night to stock our Whole30-compliant pantry and refrigerator, we became label-readers. And it had such a huge impact on us. (It was also a rather long shopping trip, because we read every, single label. My husband was texting with one of our sons, who was offering his sympathy! Thanks, my son. He was at least laughing while we shopped!). There is sugar where you would least expect it. Not only that, there is wheat and other grains in things you would not expect. Why, for example, is there wheat flour in hash browns? Sugar? Isn’t it just shredded potatoes? Apparently it is not. Why is the first or second ingredient in any kind of sausage or bacon sugar?? Why? Why is fructose or corn syrup the  #1 or #2 ingredient in most drinks, even things you drink that you think are healthy for you? Why do they add sugar to cream??? I love good, old, plain cream! Cream! Spaghetti sauce is loaded with sugar!! Our tastebuds have been trained to want sweet everywhere, in almost everything we eat. We are missing out on the savory side of eating. Of enjoying spices for their inherently wonderful flavors. Or, for example, enjoying coffee for the taste of the coffee…not the syrups and sweetness-products that are added to it. “Double white mocha, extra sweet, with added whipped cream, please” is an order I have heard more than once. The thought of it makes my fillings ache! And so we are stopping ALL SUGAR, in all its forms, for the next 30 days. That includes all forms of alcohol, in beverages or additives in foods. Pray for us!

And then there are those culprits above. Man oh man do I love pasta and bread. Slathered in butter, warm from the oven, bread is pretty much heaven for me. No need for anything else but bread and butter. Add a cup of tea and that is my comfort food. When I was a little girl, my mum would say, “Are you okay? Would you like a cup of tea and some bread & butter and we can just sit here and relax a bit?” Heaven. My kids love any sort of pasta, cooked and warm, with butter and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt on it. (I would throw in some vegetables to make it seem like a healthy lunch! Ha-Ha!). One of our favorite meals is Shrimp Alfredo. (For my middle son, make that Chicken Alfredo, but for the youngest could you please add some scallops?? Ha-Ha!). Of course, with warm garlic bread! Hey – and a salad – most of the time! I have a wonderful memory as a child, of walking through the village at Lake Arrowhead, California and coming out of the Dutch bakery (where they made the absolute best tasting sourdough bread I have ever eaten) carrying a warm, fresh loaf. We would walk back to the cabin and make tuna sandwiches on that fresh bread and sit and look at the Lake from the deck. Even the crust of that bread was good! Pretty much a perfect memory. But, it has to go for the next 30 days. No carbs from wheat or grains of any kind. No legumes of any kind (no refried beans! no chili with beans!). Gone from the pantry. Gone from the house. Well, except for my youngest son’s tortillas…he just cannot survive without them. My husband and I will be avoiding what we have come to call, “His Drawer” in our refrigerator. It has all his cheeses and tortillas and other things we are not eating that need to stay cold. Luckily they all fit in a small drawer!

What you can have, however, is unlimited fruits and vegetables, within the right categories. For the first part of our 30 days, we are going to avoid a lot of fruits so we can purge that sweet taste a little more. We are eliminating corn and peas and some others, but pretty much eating what vegetables we want. We are also trying some new vegetables. My grandmother adored Brussel Sprouts. I never did. They always tasted so bitter to me. However, I am open to ideas and found some pretty tasty sounding recipes incorporating Brussel Sprouts. And I am going to try them. I am also trying things like butternut squash and kale and steamed spinach (which I love but the family is not that fond of). And I have come to love asparagus – so that will be eaten. So many things to explore and try. So many spices I have never had, too! I am excited to learn to cook in a new and different way.

As a dedicated carnivore (sorry if that offends you) I am thrilled to have become familiar with our local butcher shop, Mike’s Meats. They are the nicest people and I have yet to have a bad piece of meat from them. The other nice thing is that all their meat is local. Even their eggs are local. And on this regime, meat and eggs are your friend. Yay! Tonight I am marinating some steak, using my own marinade from the Whole30 recipe list. I am excited. I am also hard boiling eggs, which my husband loves. We have some amazing meals planned. Another thing I am learning how to make is all our own sauces and condiments. First up? Mayonnaise!!! Got a set of Ball Jars to begin today!! So excited! And for an added note (and perhaps incentive) when we did all this shopping, our final tally was far below what we normally spend. Who would have thought that eating healthy is actually costing us less money? Most of the time, when I would try to add organic or healthier options, it seemed like I spent more money than I could afford. But leaving out dairy, breads, pastas, rice, buying extra stevia, and even packaged foods, cut way down on our bill. I’ll let you know what I think of coconut milk, by the way.

And so why, might you ask, are we doing this, and doing it now? Well, we can get in a good 30 days before the holiday season is here. We have lots of birthdays coming over the next few months, and that is another reason to start now. We also needed a clear 30 days on two calendars, with no events planned (we are ignoring Halloween, as usual). And we would like this way of eating in place and fully adopted as we face the sugary holidays with all that wonderful baking and cooking and eating. We are both overweight (dare I say obese???) and we want to be around a lot longer to enjoy our kids and grandchildren, friends and extended families. We want to be in better shape to enjoy the countryside we live in. There is so much to do, all year long. I want to try cross-country skiing. There is no way, in my current shape, I could do that. So it is my goal to learn to cross-country ski before I die a fat, old lady!  I am replacing her with a cross-country skiing grandma!!

As part of our overall health over-haul, we began incorporating Young Living’s various supplements into our lives and cannot believe the difference they have made. When I was doing my research into supplements in general, it amazed me at how many unneeded additions were in over-the-counter options! Sugar is one of the unneeded additions, along with wheat and soy, and all sorts of things you can neither spell nor pronounce. At Young Living, they take such care in making sure everything is pure and unadulterated. Their “Seed to Seal” guarantee also holds true for their supplements, and is not allocated to just their amazing Essential Oils. They test and retest all along the way, until those containers are sealed, with a guarantee of purity for each of us. If you want to add a great morning supplement to your regime, and want to feel good, just try drinking 2-4 ounces of Ningxia Red juice every morning! I adore it. We are making sure our bodies are getting the best we can give them. I use Essentialzyme and Thyromin every day, ensuring my pancreas and thyroid are getting the support they need to function at their best. I also use Mind Wise, which gives me all those amazing nutritive ingredients to keep my mind sharp and me on my toes. With parents and family members having had different cancers and Alzheimer’s, we feel we need to be on top of our health and adding these supplements is giving us peace-of-mind.

As we begin this journey, we do so looking to God and Heaven as our final destination. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” (Romans 12:1)  We want to be the best we can be, body and soul. And eliminating food groups to become healthy seems like such a simple thing we can do. And it seems so small in light of eternity. If this gives us more time with our family and friends, I guess the local ice cream shops, pizza parlors, and bread stores will just have to survive without us! More later…

Here are some sites for you to research, about what I have written in regards to the Whole30 program, as well as Young Living’s products:

http://whole30.com

http://www.youngliving.com

If you are curious, there are some wonderful supplements available from Young Living. I am thrilled to represent such an amazing company, as well as use all of their products myself. We use them in almost all aspects of our lives from cleaning our clothes and our home, to brushing our teeth and washing our hair, to some amazing Essential Oils and nutritional supplements helping us to maintain a healthy, and chemical free, lifestyle. Please drop me a message if you are curious. Here is my member number, should you like to order through me: 2523813. Thank you!