Upcomming Birthday/Event Party?

Have you ever noticed how much anticiaption, energy, maddness and craziness can be found in the mentality of a child before, during and following Celebration parties? The excitement of a party, alone, can be a lot for a child to handle, and then we typically throw in sugar as a good measure on top of it. What's wrong with sugar, you ask? Well, the chemical formula for COCAINE is C17H21NO4. SUGAR'S formula is C12H22O11. For all practical purposes, the difference is that sugar is missing the 'N', or nitrogen atom... Sugar has 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, 11 oxygen atoms, and may give children a HIGH closely mimicking that of a drug, along with an associated low through the night......which is why many kids do not sleep well following a "sugar fest". We had to cut out sugar for a few days and then closely look to identify it! (Desire more sugar info? Please visit: http://tinyurl.com/p9lz6l )

When first finding out about our daughter's need for an all-natural diet, I had searched for months to find a recipe without processed sugar, enriched flour, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, aluminum, artificial flavors, etc. After trying a few "isch-kie" cakes, I stumbled upon a good-for-you cake that is absolutely delicious, and here it is! I found this Chocolate Cake Recipe on a website of a restaurant, which sells a piece for $15.00/each. The website posted that it always sells out before the end of the evening, and I've gotten rave reviews on it from our party-goers!!!

Even though the ingredients are not staples in a typical "American" cupboard, I have gotten accustomed to just always keeping these ingredients on hand. I didn't have any of these in my cupboard when I first made it, but have adjusted gradually over time.

My Natural Chocolate Cake Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 cups spelt flour

1 TBL and 1 tsp of baking powder without aluminum (Bob's Red Mill Brand)

2 tsp baking soda (again--Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup cocoa powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 cup cold-pressed olive oil

3 cups REAL maple syrup

2 tsp of organic apple cider vinegar

4 tsp of Real Vanilla extract

2 cups of water

BE SURE TO MIX LIQUIDS and SOLIDS SEPARATELY and DO NOT OVER MIX WHEN COMBINING!! Lightly spray natural olive oil spray and whole grain flour on pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes on middle rack, and do not open door for first 30 minutes!

Here's my Natural Cookie Cake Recipe:

Ingredients :
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 cup black strap molasses
3/4 cup 100% real maple syrup/Agave nectar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon real vanilla
2-3 cups whole grain flour (spelt, oat, whole wheat) you'll have judge the thickness
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3-4 cups Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

I add oats, because I need a filler....our girls have such a hard time with any flour products, because they have been processed, so I always need to cut back and add more of a whole grain in! The cookies may be very thin or fall apart easily, so I usually end up making cookie "bars" out of it instead. Feel free to "tweak" the recipe and let me know if you can get it to stick together better!!

FROSTING: I whip up natural whipping cream, mixing in vanilla and real maple syrup to taste ...India Tree makes natural food coloring, since many kids also have a behavioral reaction to chemical food colorings. INDIA TREE kinda expensive, but we've made several cakes over the past few years with ours, and still have plenty left for many years.

Am I a Sinner?

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I AM a Sinner.

I am selfish, I am unkind, I struggle in finding my faith in difficult situations, I don't always love, I can let pride rule over my decisions, I am lonely & don't always look to God for comfort in this, I am not very gentle, I choke when defending my Heavenly Father, I don't always know the best way to seek peace in situations, I greatly struggle with self-control, I am overly emotional, I worry waaaay to much, I have low self-esteem, and I don't always live life experiencing joy.

God created me to be perfect, in his image, and I have chosen to be otherwise. After so many years of sinning, it is hard for me to look back to how I acted as a child, when I was more pure. I would follow authority more readily, I had a joy for simple pleasures, and I didn't expect much, so was very thankful towards others. even though I cannot return to that life, he has blessed me with a bit of my childhood innocence, through my daughters. I am making careful note of examples of how my daughters can help me to live a better life:

• 3 year old Sage saying that if Satan doesn't listen to God, that she doesn't want to live like him.
• 5 year old Sophie asking to giveaway her money she has gotten from chores over the past few weeks. I asked her if she didn't want to save a little longer to buy a toy from the store? "No, I have 13 coins, and want to share every one of them!"
• Sophie telling me, "I want to do your work for you because you are working hard. Let me take this over for you "(grabbing the washcloth out of my hand)
• When I've been in a hurry to put them to bed, and forget to pray with them, Sage will gently say, "Mama, let's pray before you leave, please?"
• Sophie has been offered sugar before (she has sensitivities to it) and will gently say "no thank you" because she knows it will cause her harm
• When one is given something, and the other not, the first will usually ask if there is any more for the others. The reason for this, is that they will (most of the time) be breaking the item in 3's to share if there is no more.

We all have fallen short of the glory of God, me being one on that list. My girls are not angels, and do not always behave with the above mannerisms. However, they have not been living in sin as long as I have, so they may give in to goodness quicker than me. I CAN and DO learn from them everyday.....I re-learn the simplicity that God created for us to live in.

So, as I live in sin while crying for mercy and forgiveness,I thank the Lord that he made provisions out of sin! He sent us Jesus, who lived the life we all were SUPPOSED to live, by living without sin. Jesus CAN and DOES wash away our sin. I experience an enormous release when I choose to pray and ask for forgiveness....a release that ties me no more to those thoughts and burdens I feel when I'm carrying around my guilt. Does this mean that I don't struggle with sin each and every day? No, it means I can forgive myself because God forgives me--it gives me a clean slate to begin each new day with!

I am going to sin again today. I will also sin again tomorrow. This gives me incredible guilt and sadness to know this. But, I look to my Savior for strength in getting through each and every day that I sin, because he will help to release the burden that accompanies this sin. Thank you Jesus for your love and protection for me from myself!

Acts 13:38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

PASSED AUTISM

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"AUTISM YESTERDAY" Autism is Reversible from JB Handley on Vimeo.

"It's trying to find the right recipe--for the things that work, the things that don't work"

"Right now we are almost exclusively doing HOMEOPATHY with Ryder"

"Any number of these means can make a difference, and making SOME difference is probably the greatest gift you can give your child"

Watching this video was a way to force myself to remember back to what Sophie used to be like, at one time Sophie:

• screamed almost anytime we took a car ride, the entire way there and back
• had loose stools until the age of 2 1/2, when we finally started working with her diet
• walked on only her toes everywhere
• would not look you in the eyes when talking with her
• only ate a few select foods, most of them being simple carbohydrates, fruit and dairy
• had a hypersensitive sense of hearing and smell that would set her off in tears
• woke up screaming several times throughout any given night
• wouldn't sleep in any later than 6:00 am
• made grunting and whiny noises instead of talking to people
• chose to play by herself with only a few select repeat toys
• hid in corners screaming any time she was confronted or disciplined for her behavior
• stimulated herself by twisting her hair and putting it into her ear every 5-15 minutes for the entire length of time she was awake
• had purple circles/bags around her eyes and would catch repeat ear infections and respiratory illnesses
• wandered off aimlessly without any notion that she was away from where she was supposed to be--completely unaware of other people and places.

After reading several books/websites on children healed from Autism, I have found the resounding theme for most recovered Autism patients are the following:

• Getting the child away from environmental toxins (like the chemicals found in: yard & bug sprays, household cleaners, air fresheners, fabric softeners, automotive substances, etc)
• Helping the child to detox the heavy metals and toxic ingredients from past immunizations: human diploid cells (originating from HUMAN ABORTED FETAL TISSUE), yeast, sucrose, thimerosal, formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, phenoxyethanol (ANTIFREEZE), a continuous line of monkey kidney cells, monkey kidney cell culture, monkey lung cells, monosodium glutamate (MSG) IMMUNIZATION INGREDIENT SOURCE: http://www.wnho.net/vaccine_ingredients.htm
• Controlling a child's diet by eliminating foods with chemical additives, meats and dairy containing immunizations, avoiding casein and gluten until they build up the enzymes needed to digest them, and what worked best for our child was avoiding sugar, since most autistic children have an accompanying yeast overgrowth issue, which feeds off of processed and artificial forms for sweetener.
• Doing your own research and not SETTLING for something that is not working, it is just wasting valuable time that could be used for recovery.

We are so blessed to have come so far with Sophie! People who don't know her well NOW may not assume her odd characteristics as being autistically related, but instead only "quirky". I know how far she has come since the forementioned behaviors above, and praise the Lord for her extensive recovery. Sophie is growing into a beautiful and alert young lady, with an interest in so many of God's wonderful blessings. God is the God of miracles, and I see it each and every day in our three daughters.

3 more related BLOG entries I've written on Autism:

http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-hes-not-autistic-but.html

http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-in-review-hes-not-autistic-but-by.html

http://bodymindsoulfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/quotes-from-hes-not-autistic-but-by.html

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Have You Had Your Daily Dose of Formaldehyde?

The above title may sound like one from a thriller movie, but it's actually taken from the reputable "Health Keepers" magazine, Volume 7, Issue 3. This article brings light to a toxic substance that fasely advertises itself as being a "health" and "weight loss" drink. Many adults, teens and even children drink it, as they have bought into this lie as a weight loss method--only to discover an addiction that is difficult to break free from. In the book "He's not autistic, But..." author Tenna Merchent describes her withdrawal from this particular toxic drink in depth, saying that she experienced noticeable and undesirable symptoms for 2 solid months!

So how is drinking diet soda related to drinking formaldehyde? Author Gen Whitt of Health Keepers Magazine describes how the process begins with Aspartame, a sugar substitute found in diet soda. " Aspartame has a complex chemical structure, one part of that being methanol, commonly known as wood alcohol. When consumed as part of the aspartame chemical, the methanol is broken down by the intestine into FORMALDEHYDE .... which is further converted into formic acid, the same poison conveyed by ant stings. One common practical use of formic acid is as an activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings."

"Since it's 1981 approval, the FDA has published a list of close to 100 symptoms of aspartame poisoning. The FDA admits approximately 80% of their consumer complaints it receives each year are aspartame-related.....physical side effects are abdominal pain,asthma, burning eyes/throat, diarrhea, fatigue, heart palpation's, memory loss, mental confusion, irritability and even death." Yes, death. Now, as with any toxic substance your body may show less and less "surface" side effects from being pelted continuously with such a toxic substance. So even though they may think they are free of symptoms, the truth is that the body is pushing the toxins into the deep tissues, like bones, cells, blood, and even the fatty tissues of the brain.

Sure, one diet soda here and there may not effect someone enough to rush them to the hospital, but over the course of a few years/few decades, the symptoms of aspartame may show up as possibly:

• cancer (anything toxic in the body that can't be detoxed naturally)
• liver failure (the liver is responsible for ridding the body of chemicals)
• kidney disease (blood is filtered & stores here the liquids to be excreted through the urine)
• osteoporosis (when sugars are combined with caffeine, it doubles the amount of calcium excreted from the bones of the body)

No, I'm not just going to pick on the widely enjoyed diet soft drinks, because aspartame is also hidden very strategically in cakes, cookies, gum, and virtually any weight loss food. Author Tienna Merchant tells how her diet program (Weight Watchers) allows aspartame as a part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. My obvious question is, "Why would a HEALTH program allow as part of their program, a substance that turns into formaldehyde in the human body, thus destroying HEALTH"? Oh, yeah, because it's labeled "diet" and has been sold as a "diet" product for so many years. So, who's going to argue with them--certainly not the customers who are hoping to keep this as part of their diet plan!

I find it quite amusing that on the Diet Coke website, it says: "The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has found that all beverages, including those with caffeine, CONTRIBUTE to total daily hydration. If you're not in the mood for water, it's OK to reach for something else you enjoy like a sports drink, tea or a soft drink."

Quite the contrary, on the website http://tinyurl.com/cllbde, (Diets in Review.com), it reads: "Soda, tea, and coffee are a few examples of diuretics, which dehydrate the body".

So, one may ask, which one is correct? I did a quick search for to see what I could come up with on urine and diet soda, only to discover several question/answer forums asking about why diet sodas make them urinate so much? I believe, then, that the answer to this debate is in the hands of the diet soda consumers! After all, Diet Soda processing companies have more to lose if the"truth" gets out about diet soda stripping our bodies of the 60-85% water content needed to sustain itself! I do not believe that Diets in Review.com has as much at stake as the diet soda companies do!

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

You had a Bad Day? How About This Guy?

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If we could all look at our weaknesses in life as Nick Vujicic does--as a way to grow and succeed with God's strength--the world would be viewed very differently for most of us! He has a positive outlook on life even though he has missing limbs that he could understandably use as a crutch. But not only does he stay positive with his limitation, but he also looks at it as an opportunity to share his faith with others. What a blessing and inspiration for all who meet him!

The Perseverance that Nick has is an attribute to be admired. It is a valuable attribute for us to personally strive for--after all, look at the verses in the Bible on this subject:

Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance

James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.

Revelation 2:19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

The next time you think that you just can't go on, or you feel overwhelmed with your responsibilities......think of God being your source of energy to persevere and push on ahead to enjoy your effort you put forth!

Natural Sweeteners

All sweeteners are forms of sugar, supplying little or no nutrients to the body. Our goal should be to seek out sweeteners in their natural state, with minimal refining or processing involved. If we choose to do this, we will have fewer health problems, because we are eating a food that GOD created for us to enjoy, unprocessed and unrefined by people. Some of the following information is taken from a sweetener handout put out by Country Life Natural Foods, and the online Wikipedia.

Most of these can be substituted for sugar at a ratio of 3/4 cup of liquid natural sweetener replaces 1 cup of sugar, but then also reduce the other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup:

HONEY: contains relatively the same amount of sweetness (97%) as common processed sugar, but contains more calories per spoonful compared to sugar because of the denseness it has. It is 17% water, but also contains some minerals, and B complex vitamins.

MAPLE SYRUP: needs to be 100% pure maple syrup, otherwise you have fallen into the consumer trap processors are hoping for with their high fructose corn syrup and chemical maple flavoring. 100% pure maple syrup comes out of a treat a ratio of 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup...yikes....no wonder it's cheaper to buy corn syrup! Gade C maple syrup is HIGH in minerals, but low in sweetness, while Grade A maple syrup is high in sweetness, but it doesn't have many minerals left in it. We're very excited that our new Co-Op Azure Standard is Grade B, while most grocery stores only carry Grade A. We buy a gallon a month/2 months and do most of our baking with this, along with a "topper" for pancakes mornings.
Maple Syrup contains 50 calories per Tablespoon, but also contains small amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and sodium, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, Nicotinic acid and Pantothenic Acid(B5)...all nutrients needed by the body to function properly. Sugar has none of these, and is highly processed!

MOLASSES: is the by-product from the processing of sugar beet or sugar cane into sugar. The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or beet, and the darkness of it is directly relational to it's sweetness. Unfortunately, the best one for you (BLACK STRAP) is also the least sweetest. Black strap Molasses contains trace amounts of iron, calcium, zinc, copper and chromium.

DATE SUGAR: made from grinding dried dates, but less sweet than sugar. It contains trace elements of potassium, iron, phosphorus and fiber. Substitution--1cup to 1 cup.

STEVIA POWDER: extracted from the herb, and is much sweeter than sugar. substitution: 1/4 tsp of stevia to one cup sugar. when using in cooking, mix the stevia powder in the liquid from the recipe before adding the other dry ingredients.

SUCANAT: Unrefined brown sugar, powdered cane juice. Contains some vitamins, minerals and molasses. Substitute: 1 cup-1 cup

BROWN RICE SYRUP: made from brown rice and filtered water.

AGAVE NECTAR: a honey-like substance extracted from a cactus. Although there is slower absorption of it into the bloodstream than corn syrup and sugar, it's similarly processed/extracted from the plant as corn syrup, so I have decreased in my use of the substance.

CANE JUICE CRYSTALS: crystallized raw sugar from sugar cane juice. Can be substituted equally with sugar. In my opinion, just as processed as sugar, so just as harmful on your body as sugar.

Obviously some of these natural sweeteners will be better for your body than others. The less a sweetener is processed, the more vitamins and minerals you will get out of it for your body to utilize and balance your blood sugar levels with.

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from discussing all this sugar business the last few BLOGS.....I'm ready for something new! I will be saving my "50 ways Sugar can Ruin Your Health" BLOG (from the book: Lick the Sugar Habit) for another time, and will BLOG something of a different topic next time around. Until then, stay sweet!

Eliminating the Sugar Cravings Naturally

My past two Blog postings (scroll down below) go over the effects and sources of processed and artificial sugars. After getting a handful of e-mails and Face Bk. messages asking about the how-to in getting over sugar "addictions", I decided to do a "surprise" BLOG posting in between my usually once a week scheduled postings. I mean, after all of the previous info, I couldn't leave you searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. So... look no further, you are there!

When I first heard my Master Herbalist say the words, "Cut processed sugar completely from you diet," anything said after that point was totally pointless--my mind froze on those unwelcoming words and panic set in. Sugar was something soothing to me, something comforting, and something that I had grown up with. I enjoyed it daily in my soda pops, in my store bought snack cakes, in the morning, evening, and even if I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night! Life as I knew it would forever be changed.....seriously, cut sugar out of my diet? But how and why?

I was born with several health problems, and accumulated several more along the way. In fact, my husband had told me shortly before our wedding that if I couldn't figure out a way to slow down the amount of coughing spells I experienced daily, he would refuse to walk down the isle with me for fear of me struggling to get through my vows! So, I did something that most people would have done: I went to the doctor and started getting prescriptions for steroid inhalers, which lessened the symptoms, but increased the amount of other health problems that were surprisingly starting to show up! Little did I know, that if I had taken the step of eliminating sugar from my diet, that I would have dropped the need for the inhaler, along with all the other prescriptions I was told to start on! Since sugar is in most everything processed, I would have had to re-vamp my diet completely, making most things from scratch. I would have to start buying food labeled as organic so that I would know the sweetener in it would be of natural origin. However, I did not discover this little secret until years later, when our daughters were born with worse health problems than I grew up with.

So......after I got over the initial shock of hearing the words "Cutting sugar from my diet" and had prayed endlessly about whether I should do it or not.....I began the process of discovery. The discovery of what I was unknowingly shoveling into my mouth, what the harmful effects of it were, and what the "recovery" and "healing" process was going to entail. After going through sugar detox, I have never felt so good in my life, and have never gone so long without an over-the-counter medication or prescription!

I first had to start by eliminating my cravings. To do this, I began taking BLACK WALNUT CAPSULES from Natures Sunshine Herb Co., which are well known for their cleansing properties of detoxing the body of sugar, amongst other things. I would take 2 capsules every few hours, whether I felt a craving or not. I also added to this regimen, Organic Black Strap Molasses, which is the part that is disposed of during the processing of sugar. Since the two were originally one substance, the body naturally re-combines molasses & sugar and flushes them both out after using the nutrients from the molasses (vitamin C and B complex). So, you are not only using the molasses as a "cravings buster", but also using it as a "sugar-detoxer"! I would take a Tablespoon of black strap molasses every few hours, opposite of the Black Walnut herbs. Between these 2 substances, and FULLY eliminating processed and artificial sweeteners and simple carbohydrates (that turn quickly into sugar once swallowed), the detoxing process will begin!

As the days go by, you will feel less drawn to processed and artificial sugars so that you can take less of the black strap molasses and black walnut capsules. Keep in mind, that your body will have to go through a detoxing and withdrawal process still, how extreme depends upon how much sugar you have in your body and how much you support your body with nutrients like Black Walnut Herb, Black strap Molasses, and good-for-you-foods. Some people are slightly uncomfortable or have awkward "side effects" while they eliminate the sugar, others are climbing the wall with anxiety and experiencing looser stools, while yet others will pass with flying colors and never look back. Once you are over the hump of the addiction and of detoxing, you will enjoy less health problems, less cravings and less over-eating! Just be sure to supply your body with plenty of ORGANIC protein during this time, so that you aren't tempted to "snack" on sugar and carbs....slowing the process.

Once you have eliminated processed sugars and artificial sugars out of your diet and no longer experience the cravings, you can occasionally enjoy sugar in desserts and "normal" foods if you desire. Here are a few things that can HELP your body not to get re-hooked or experience withdrawl following sugar consumption:

• Eat/drink 3 ounces of HIGH FAT dairy before consuming sugary foods has been shown to reduce the negative effects of sugar on the body (organic: half and half, cream or cheese)
• 16 ounces of purified or spring water (not distilled or tap) after sugar is eaten helps reduce the high blood-sugar effect
• Take VITAMIN 'C' CITRUS BIOFLAVONOIDS from Natures Sunshine before sugary snacks are consumed to help offset and lessen the drop in immune system response to sugar
• Taking MAGNESIUM COMPLEX from Natures Sunshine after meals including sugar supports better digestion and assimilation of sugar. Since studies have shown sugar to be bad for the heart, and magnesium a necessary nutrient for heart health, the, sugar increases the need for magnesium.

Although these ideas will HELP your body---once you are completely detoxed it will be a shock for your body to have sugar ingested, because it is so highly processed and basically void of any nutrients to offset the negative aspect of it. This is the way it is meant to be, though, because God blesses our bodies with warning mechanisms that let us know when we ingest something harmful......sugar being one of these such substances.

Because you will still want to enjoy sweeteners in your diet, I will include a list of natural sweeteners in my next BLOG posting for you to substitute in your own baking and cooking. Keep in mind, most organic foods will have natural sweeteners in them...so you should be safe in buying and consuming these. BUT ALWAYS check the label, so that you can aren't "blindly" feeding you body with artificial and processed sweeteners! Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******