Counter-Culture

One of my favorite sites for nutrition is Weston Price. Over the past few months, I've delved deeper into researching nutrition, disease prevention, and healing. I read this and this tonight, and it seems like our modern society does things completely opposite of well-documented research. Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we went back to "Grandma's cooking"? It is no secret that our ancestors were healthy, thriving people free from cancer, heart disease and all sorts of other ailments. Most doctors want to give us pills to take, but could it be (just perhaps!) that our problem is how we process our food to death and what we eat now as opposed to what people used to eat even just 100 years ago? Call me crazy, but I'm willing to do what I can within my limits to make my son's generation a healthy one. And to make my grandma proud.

Coconut Oil - It's quite good for you!

Recently, I began incorporating coconut oil into my diet on an everyday basis. The benefits of coconut oil are just too amazing to not use it.

During the onset of my sophomore year in college, I had a serious Crohn's flare. The symptoms began long before the flare ensued and were extremely painful. I did not eat. I did not sleep. I dropped weight rapidly. Many outsiders assumed I was anorexic. (What I would have given to simply eat a cracker!) I could not sit up straight due to the excessive amount of inflammation in my gut. I waddled around, rightfully earning the nickname "Penguin". I remember literally punching my mom's bed frame as I tried to fall asleep; the pain too cumbersome to mentally bear. Finally, I had surgery at Mt. Caramel in Columbus and took a quarter break from college.

This is a small glimpse of my story, but I want you to know why I'm passionate about it. Over the past 11 years, I've managed Crohn's disease to the best of my ability. Once I accepted Christ, I sought the Lord on how to care for my body. I know my life is in His hands. He has an allotted number of days for me. I believe this with my whole heart, and I trust Him. I can do nothing to add to the time He has set for me. Yet, I know He calls me to be a good steward of all things, including physical health. By nurturing my body, I'm better fit to serve and honor Him and hopefully prevent future flares. So here I am now in 2010 researching ways to actually heal my gut as much as possible. It may seem radical to some, but to me it's totally worth it. If I can use natural remedies to aid in better digestion, absorption, and immunity, you bet I'll take it! I've been able to reduce medication by 50% and hope to eventually stop taking it altogether. Will you hope with me?

I've read so much lately, but what I really desire to share with you is what I've learned about coconut oil. Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid, which means it's easily digested and absorbed. Many people who suffer from Crohn's disease or Ulcerative Colitis claim that coconuts/coconut oil is a miracle remedy. While I'm not sure that this will actually cure my illness, I honestly believe it helps control symptoms including fatigue, weight loss, abdominal cramping, gas, frequent bowel movements, etc. This article lays out many benefits of using coconut oil. Coconut oil is healthy for us, and if you're human, you probably will benefit from using it on a regular basis. I incorporate it into my smoothies, and it is wonderful on pancakes or toast topped with some honey. I also use this recipe for homemade deodorant, and it is fantastic! Vitacost has great prices on coconut oil as well as other natural/organic products. If you're looking for a healthy boost to your diet, add some coconut oil. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

I think you'll enjoy her

Meet Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking. A friend recommended her blog, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all that I've read. She loves the Lord, which evidences itself in her respectful and wise manner of writing. She has some really great tips. Make sure you read some of her posts, and check out her recipes as well! I hope you glean some great insight from her experiences in the kitchen and in the home!

For your digestive health...

If you or someone you know suffers from any type of digestive disorder, this article might interest you. Jordan Rubin was literally on his death bed due to Crohn's disease. He is the author of The Maker's Diet and wants to help others learn how to heal their digestive tracts naturally. I hope to incorporate as much of this into my diet as possible. I know it can only help, and hopefully I can kick medication to the curb for good!

Glenn Helen

Over the past three weeks, we've enjoyed the wild outdoors! We hiked through Glenn Helen last week after stopping for breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe in Yellow Springs. This is my very favorite breakfast spot. You really need to eat here. The food is fresh and delicious and filling enough to sustain you while you hike and explore!

Here are a few of shots of our outing. (We returned today from a three day trip to Hueston Woods. I'll post pictures and video soon!)

Smiling... sort of!

Daddy and his son - two sweethearts!

Wiping off his hands so we can head back home!

Soaked Oatmeal Recipe

As I mentioned a few days ago, I've been reading up on health and wellness topics. Overall, I try to steer clear from as many preservatives, dyes, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, etc. as possible, but I think there is always room for improvement in what I buy and prepare for our family to eat. (Especially, when it seems like every grocery store in America is chock-full of enticing processed food!) I haven't always been overly health conscious, but over the past three years I've read enough to convince me that some of our eating habits needed revamped. In general, I enjoy learning new things, and for some peculiar reason, health topics constantly pique my interest. And, to be honest with you, one of my goals is to eventually stop taking maintenance therapy drugs for Crohn's disease. I'm not quite ready to make such a drastic jump, but I have high hopes that sometime in the future I might be able to control this disease through diet alone. I hope so!

The week I read that 70 percent of our immune system is located in our digestive tract. Crohn's is considered an auto-immune disease, which in a nutshell means that my body's immunity overreacts and works against itself. Although I'm almost certain genetics plays some part in Crohn's (my brother and I both have it and were diagnosed only three months apart), it's interesting to know that I can make small changes in my diet to gain more nutritional benefits and absorb vital nutrients. I think my digestive tract might be happier with me if I change a few things!

So, this week I'm focusing my attention on whole grains. Whole grains naturally contain an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, found in the hull or bran of grains. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of minerals including zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper. Soaking or sprouting grains helps reduce the amount of phytic acid, therefore enabling the body to absorb and easily digest the grains we consume. This is a wonderful site where you can learn more about traditional cooking and why soaking grains is beneficial. Not only is it beneficial, it's simple, too!

My first experience with soaking grains proved successful! I soaked oats and pecans (it's also good to soak nuts - here's why) in water with a little lemon juice for this tasty oatmeal. We all enjoyed it, and I'm making more this evening. If you and your family enjoy oatmeal, give this recipe a shot. Play around with it, and feel free to share your modifications with me. I'm always up for a new, tasty, and healthy recipe!

Snow, Air Force Museum, Graduation... and this and that!

Here are some recent snapshots of our family. Matt is officially a graduate of the Air Force Institute of Technology! He's on vacation for a few weeks, and we enjoyed our first visit as a family to the Air Force Museum. I've included some other pictures as well including Isaac enjoying our blizzard-like weather this past winter and just being plain cute!

Family fun in the... SNOW!

I LOVE his smile and the way he's snuggled deep in the snow!

Helping Daddy shovel

Our first trip as a family to the United States Air Force Museum

Checking out artifacts from the Korean War era

Just stopping to get some "head nudgies" from Daddy!

We liked this plane - it has "big teef"!

Graduation! Matt in line for his diploma!

It's official! (I do not like this pic of me, but it will have to do!)

Lisa and Jorge, our best friends from Boston (now they live in Montgomery, AL!), came to celebrate with us!

Monkeying around :)

Isaac loves wearing sunglasses... rain, shine, or inside!

Reading to Isaac, Dylon, and Ethan (he's standing up.) We watched the boys while my friend, Christine, and her hubby packed for their PCS to South Carolina. They just finished AFIT as well!

Baby Dylon needed a good nap, so I put him in the hotsling. He is such a cuddle bug, and I enjoyed every minute of it!

That's our family in a nutshell over the past couple of months. I'll update more this week!