Happy 1 year anniversary body!

Show me my INSIDES!

I look healthy from the outside, but until this week...I had no idea what the inside looked like.  Crohn's Disease causes havoc on your intestines and left untreated can cause major issues and complications. There is no cure for Crohn's...only the hope that we can get to remission and stay there. Several months ago, I was put in a study that looks at several factors, including my DNA and ranks me at having predisposed major complications from the disease. I'll be honest, the numbers scared me.  Within 5 years I am 53% likely to have major issues and complications and the percentage increased drastically as the years progressed. Tuesday, I had another colonoscopy, which is the only real way to see the state of the disease. 

 GUESS WHAT????
WHAT I AM DOING,
DRUG FREE...
IS WORKING!!!!

I want to be your friend...I want to help you!
One year ago when I began this journey, I was laying in a hospital bed bargaining with God to show me a better way. Thankfully, I had a friend that shared with me the power of healing through food and nutrition. One year ago, I never expected to be that friend to you...I never expected that little ol' Laura would be inspiring so many with my story.

So out of my comfort zone.
The physical change is so less important to me that than the health change, but several friends have asked me to post pictures of myself. Because we are such visual people, maybe it will get someone excited about what can be accomplished in just one short year. I encourage health vs. weight loss...I know plenty of skinny, unhealthy people. Anyone can restrict themselves and lose weight, I allowed the foods to heal me and the weight came off naturally. So as uncomfortable as I am showing you the physical change I've experienced, I'm getting out of my box and posting them anyway.

Thanks for the messages, the encouragement but mostly thank you for allowing me to help you.
Food heals...God is so smart!

Until next time, accept no excuses!
Laura

 

"Our family would eat healthy...if we were rich."

The biggest complaint and misconception I hear about eating organic/natural is that it's TOO EXPENSIVE.  My goal in this blog post is to help you realize that eating better can be done, even on a budget.

A dear friend was gracious enough to join me last week in a LASAGNA THROWDOWN.  She prepared a pan of lasagna in the normal, conventional fashion and I prepared with organic and natural ingredients and we compared prices. Here are our results for a 9x13 pan (which fed my family of four, two meals):

Conventional Lasagna
Lasagna noodles (Used half a box) - $2.50
Cottage cheese - $1.99
Mozzarella cheese - $3.99
Tomatoes (used 2 cans) - $1.80
Tomato paste (used 2 cans) - $1.75
Grassfed beef (1 pound from Whole Foods) - $6.99
Extra ingredients had on hand:  Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, basil and oregano -  $1.00 (guesstimate)
Total - $20.02

My Lasagna
Lasagna noodles (Wholefoods organic - Used half a box) - $1.50
Cottage cheese (Trader Joes Milk from cows not treated with rBST) - $1.99
Mozzarella (Trader Joes Milk from cows not treated with rBST - Used about 8 oz.) - $2.00
Tomato basil pasta sauce (Trader Joes organic) - $1.79
Diced tomatoes (Kroger organic) - $1.50
Beef (Preferred meats - 1 pound) - $4.89
Extra ingredients had on hand:  Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, basil and oregano -  $1.00 (guesstimate)
Total - $14.67

When we stopped going to fast food restaurants (another blog for another day), stopped eating pre-packaged and processed foods, organic and natural foods fit better into our families food budget. Please understand, our family is not 100% organic. I do, however, think that whenever possible....if I can feed my family clean, whole, chemical free foods, we are better for it.

Here are a few quick tips that have worked for us.

• Watch for "Managers Specials". Recently, I have found organic milk on "Managers Special" because it is within several days of expiration.  At $2.99/half gallon...organic milk isn't cheap. But finding a gallon on sale for $2.99 is a DEAL...who cares that it's going to expire in 2 days, we'll drink it!  Look for "Managers Specials" in the organic/natural section of your grocery store.  Ask your store when they typically do these mark downs and shop those days.  
• STOP eating the junk! Make a commitment to not eat the convenience foods.  Instead of grabbing those microwavable, frozen meals...make an extra portion at dinner.  Like with my lasagna, I was sick of eating it before it was gone.  But knowing that frozen meals are packed full of preservatives and chemicals...makes it slightly easier to stomach another day of lasagna.  
• Stock up on staples when you see sales.  Different than "Managers Specials", these items aren't within days of expiring.  My son is a HUGE cereal eater.  He would eat cereal at breakfast, lunch and dinner if we let him (and sometimes has). When I began looking at the ingredients of conventional cereals, I thought he was going to hate me for life for taking the fun, kid friendly stuff away. I have found a brand of cereal that my Krogers carries, called Mom's Best Naturals.  They have look alike, taste-alike and mom approved versions of several cereals.  They are not organic but do not have artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. No hydrogenated oils and no high fructose corn syrups...considered "natural".  Just yesterday, I found the Mom's Best on sale for $1.49/box, expiration date 8/12.  I stocked up!!!!
• Don't shop for meal ingredients...shop and then make meals.  I try hard not to go to the grocery to buy ingredients for a recipe, rather...shop, see what deals you can find and figure out what you can cook with those ingredients.  I recently found, free range organic eggs on "Managers Special".  They were within 1 day of expiring...perfect opportunity for a quiche, other egg based dish or what about breakfast for dinner?  
• Shop at organic/natural stores.  About twice a month (less now because of our bridge situation), I head to Louisville to shop at both Trader Joes and Wholefoods. Locally I run into Rainbow Blossom occasionally, but have found their prices higher UNLESS, it's something on sale. I have found great staples that I purchase every single time at Trader Joes.  I love their produce, taco shells, pasta, pasta sauces, canned and frozen vegetables and "kid friendly" snack type stuff like granola bars.  
• Farmers markets when possible.  I say when possible because I haven't found one open in the winter.  In the spring-fall months, farmers markets are packed full of fresh, local whole foods and better prices that you can typically find in stores.  Within the farmers markets you can find vendors that specialize in organic products.  Be willing to travel.  My cousin and I traveled to Bloomington, Indiana a few times this summer for their amazing farmers market.  Full of amazing produce, meats, cheeses, salsas, flowers...you name it, they had it and we had the most fun exploring.  
• Make your own.  Things like taco seasoning and chili seasoning are simple to make yourself, cheaper (buy organic spices at Trader Joes!!!)  and without additives commonly found in store bought versions.  Here is a recipe I use for taco seasoning:

1 tbls chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

• Stop eating so much.  Because I am not a licensed dietician, I cannot tell you how much you should or should not be eating.  I can, however, tell you that Americans are OVERFED and UNDERNOURISHED.  There are plenty of apps for our smart phones that help us track calories...how many you need and how many you just shoved into your mouth at your favorite restaurant.  I was amazed when I began to do this.  My mentality was "It's just a salad" or "I'll get the veggie pizza".  My husband and I do not eat out without sharing a meal.  Portion sizes are OUT OF CONTROL!  Until I began tracking calories on my iPhone I didn't understand how many calories a meal consisted of. There are several good calorie tracking apps out there, my favorites are MyFitnessPal and LiveStrong.  Start tracking what you're eating...I think you'll be surprised.

It's taken our family almost a year to get to the point we are now, but we are NO WHERE CLOSE to where I'd like to be.  I'm still learning and still trying to find the best ways to feed my family.  My last and biggest tip I could give you is to read and research. Finding out what goes into the conventional foods has motivated me to take this journey, to feed my family the most healthy foods I can find. Please take 20 minutes and watch this video...I believe it will motivate you as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YkNkscBEp0&feature=player_embedded

Until next time, accept no excuses!

Laura

You're doing WHAT and WHY???

"There's a difference between interest and commitment.  When you're interested in something, you do it only when it's convenient.  When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results." 

- Ken Blanchard

February 2010, I was hospitalized for several days with a very high, unexplainable fever.  After every test known to man (I have the bill to prove it!), it was concluded that I was allergic to a medication that I was recently put on for a disease I have called Crohns. Take me off the medication and almost instantly...I was better.

Although the fevers had stopped, my body was still not well.  I was overweight and out of shape, trying to maintain a full time plus, high stress job as well as be a wife and mother, eating habits that were out of control, the disease had my body in a state of under nourishment and exercise had become something I didn't have time for and certainly didn't feel like doing (makes me tired just typing all of that).

The Journey Began....
It is my understanding, that the ultimate goal when you have Crohn's Disease is to get your body into remission.  The medications are meant to suppress my over active immune system to that of a normal person. Thus, relieving the symptoms and damage the disease inflicted. The new medication my doctor wanted to put me on was described to me as the "cadillac" medication, the "big one".

Nervous and praying diligently for a better way, I began to read.  Everything I read on the new "cadillac" medication scared me more than the one I was on that hospitalized me.  I felt stuck, I knew if I didn't take the medicine...the disease would do a lot of harm, cause great havoc and surgery was inevitable but on the other hand I was getting more and more clarification that it wasn't the road I needed to be on.  I refused the medicine and decided I would take control of my health.

I continued to read, but changed my google searches from traditional medicine to taking a more natural healing approach.  I immediately began reading about different foods and their effect on the human body, organic vs. conventional foods, genetically modified foods, hormone and antibiotic filled foods and a whole host of very interesting topics that I had little to no knowledge of.  The more I read, the more I wanted to read...the more I read, the more disgusted I became on how under educated we as Americans are.  I saw it written recently that Americans are the most OVERFED and UNDERNOURISHED country.  How is that?  Think about that for more than a second and it becomes disgusting!

As my food choices began to change, my energy levels increased.  I began taking a phenomenal supplement that was helping my body to heal better than any medication I'd ever taken.  As my energy levels increased I began to exercise again.  As I began to exercise again, I began to lose weight and feel great about myself again.  All of this happened, because I was committed to finding something better and I would accept NO EXCUSES...only results!

Being slightly dramatic...I look back and say, "11 months ago I was on deaths doorstep."  Well, I honestly believe I was.  I was on a rapid downward spiral.  The reaction to the medication was my "ah ha', "wakeup", "knock on the door" whatever you want to call it, but even though it took something that extreme to get my attention, I am very thankful and grateful for it.

The past 11 months I haven't stopped reading and researching, I have found that I have a great passion for sharing what I've learned to inspire others to take control of their lives.  A great friend who I love and respect highly, has been helping me to focus this excitement in a way that will be most beneficial to others.  Where will that lead?  Not sure yet...would love to hear your ideas and suggestions?

My intention for this blog is to not only share with you what I learn and have learned, but to motivate and inspire, share your victories and give you countless tips on things that have worked for me.  Remember, I'm a mom...so changing the way I looked at food and nutrition had to also be the way our family looked at food and nutrition.  Organic/natural eating has a stigma attached to it that it's too expensive for the typical American family...I think just the opposite and will work hard to bust that myth.

I also want to hear from you...when people ask me questions, it inspires me to read and research more...so please, keep the questions coming.  Feel free to contact me anytime, I'm doing this for you!

Until next time, accept no excuses.
Laura