Month: February 2016

Diet Treatment

~ lilthingsmama ~ Leave a comment

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Since 2008 I have been struggling with some health issues. Sleep has been sparse, digestive issues, constant nausea, and fatigue have been present, and I have had a long struggle with Overactive Bladder. I have gotten to the point where I don’t really leave the house due to the Overactive Bladder. I have seen a urologist a couple times since 2008, but none of the treatment ever really made a difference. I started seeing the urologist again in August 2015, and 7 medications and many appointments later nothing has improved. I also felt very pressured to do Botox treatment, which I personally didn’t feel comfortable with (no judgement if you decided to do Botox treatment).  Two and a half weeks ago I took the plunge to see a Naturopath. After talking with him, I felt so confident that he could help me get better using natural methods.  I am 2 weeks into my strict diet treatment and a week into my supplement treatment.

Eating healthy is one of the most important things for your health. Although, healthy is completely different for each person. My list of healthy foods is different than someone who does not struggle with OAB. The first thing that my Doctor wanted me to do was change my diet completely! So now i am Gluten, most dairy, alcohol, caffeine, and acidic food free! Although the list is long of what I cannot eat, I have been enjoying experimenting with different recipes and ingredients that are healthy for me to eat.

My hubby has been posting all his favorites of my meal experiments on Instagram. So I decided to share some of what I have been making with you all!

Bagel and Scrambled Eggs

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I am a huge breakfast fan! So this plate is an Udi’s Gluten Free/Dairy Free Bagel with Daiya Cream Cheese Spread. Then there is 2 eggs (scrambled) with organic chicken sausage (diced) and Daiya Cheddar Cheese. This is the Gluten free, Dairy free version of what I previously ate every morning. However, when buying the bagels you would get 4 in a pack and they were more than double the cost of regular bagels. I have since, given up my bagels and am trying other options for breakfast!

Spinach and Sausage Omelet with Diced Sweet Potatoes

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Omelet:

-2 eggs, scrambled

-organic chicken sausage, diced

-handful of organic spinach, sliced into strips

-Daiya Cheddar Cheese

Sweet Potatoes:

-1/2 large sweet potato, diced

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon black pepper

-1/4 teaspoon paprika

Basil Sweet Potato Scramble

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-2 eggs, scrambled

-1/2 large sweet potato, diced

-1/2 organic chicken sausage, diced

-handful of organic spinach, cut into strips

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon black pepper

-1/2 teaspoon fresh Basil

-pinch of Daiya Cheddar Cheese

Breakfast Sandwich

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I made the breakfast sandwiches from “Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple”. I messed up on them but they still turned out yummy! There was a small mixup on my part when cooking the sausage, so I had to improvise and mix the sausage in the scrambled eggs. In the original recipe there would actually be a sausage patty and eggs separate. I’ll read more carefully next time haha! But I strongly encourage you pick up a copy of Danielle Walker’s cookbooks or visit againstallgrain.com to get some amazing recipes!

Even though changing your diet may seem scary, it is so worth it to jump in and do it! I can honestly say that I feel a lot better with some of my health issues. YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

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My Deodorant Switch

~ lilthingsmama ~ Leave a comment

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One of the first things that my family switched to in order to lessen our chemical exposure was deodorant. Conventional deodorant can be chocked full of harmful chemicals! I am not a doctor, so my decision was based on research I have personally done on the topic. This blog post will go through why I made the switch from conventional deodorants, that you can buy anywhere, to organic options.

Everyone has their own opinion and this blog is outlining the reasons why I personally switched the products that I use on my body. Sterling and I had watched a documentary that mentioned the toxicity of deodorant, so that made me look at the ingredients on the deodorant that I used. The deodorant that I was using, prior to switching to a homemade deodorant, had some very harmful chemicals in it. The first ingredient was “Aluminum Zirconium” which (through research I did on the internet) has been linked to kidney and nerve damage and over time linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. That alone was enough to make me want to switch deodorants. If you continue to look at your deodorant’s ingredients, you may find more harmful substances. Due to my deodorant containing aluminum zirconium and artificial fragrance, I switched to making my own deoderant.

When researching how to make my own deodorant, I discovered many recipes with baking soda and without. I found that baking soda can actually cause irritation on certain people. I tried a recipe that did contain baking soda and did not have a reaction to it. After trying other organic deodorants, there were no negative reactions. Personally, I like that I can pronounce every ingredient in my deodorant and that it is all natural and organic. I would much rather put coconut oil and essential oils on the delicate skin of the underarm than a form of aluminum.

I have heard from friends that “natural deodorant does not work”. I understand there is a frustration that comes with trying multiple natural products to find one that works for you, but the peace that comes with knowing I’m not putting harmful chemicals on my body out weighs that for me personally. The first natural thing I tried worked great for me though, it was a homemade coconut oil deodorant with essential oils.

I will give you all the recipe that I used to create my homemade deodorant on my next blog post. I encourage you to look at the products you are using to see if they could be harming you. I want you all to be happy and healthy!

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