Natural Deodorant

In an effort to detox my body of toxins, I have started using a natural deodorant. 

I have this weird thing going on with my underarms anyway.  Fox Fordyce is what it's called.  Okay, so I need to be clear...I have never been diagnosed with it.  My friend's sister has it.  She's been diagnosed.  I have the same symptoms as she does.  I self-diagnosed. 

Also, they are super duper itchy. 

I have avoided deodorants for the past two years and have been a stinky person. 

That has all ended.  No more stink-a-roo.

A small dab of coconut oil applied to the underarm moisturizes.  Then take that same finger and poke it into some baking soda.  Rub that onto the coconut oiled underarm.  Wait a moment so that you're not too greasy putting on lovely clothes you don't to get oiled. 

Whallah!

I have not been stinky.  AND if you skip a day, it's okay.  You still won't smell.  I don't shower every day.  It is sooo not by choice.  I have three little ones.  Sometimes, it just doesn't happen.  Plus, I'm too busy cooking soup to shower. 

Day 18, Stage 4 (day 2)

Today was pretty boring as far as food goes.  I was out a lot, so I made my ol' standby - broccoli and ground beef soup with onions and garlic.  I made a big pot and brought it from place to place, stopping at home to fill up as needed. 

My cravings are disappearing.  People can eat bread and sweets in front of me and I don't feel like taking them down like a crazed hyena only to rip away their sacred treat. 

I start the day off with a glass of water and my probiotics. 

A half hour to an hour later (depending on how the morning is going) I have my juiced carrots, celery, beet and ginger along with my cod liver oil supplements. 

I just think it's so pretty, don't you?

I do mix it before drinking. 

While I'm drinking the juice, I'm cooking either pancakes, eggs or soup. 

There is plenty of time to allow for my body to digest the probiotics, juice and cod liver oil.  I simmer the soup for 25 minutes.  And then it needs to cool.  If I'm making pancakes, it takes that long, too. 

I made soured cream the other day.  I poured a gallon of raw milk into a pitcher.  I waited 24 hours.  I took it out of the fridge and carefully scooped the cream off the top.  Use a pitcher you can see through.  There will be a definitive line separating the cream from the milk.  I put the cream into a 32oz glass jar.  I added 3 heaping tablespoons of greek yogurt.  I wrapped it in a towel, put it next to my crockpot and left it there for 24 hours.  It went into the fridge until I needed it. 
It definitely smelled soured.  But not bad...just sour.  And it was thick.  I mean thick. 

I was able to incorporate it into soups very nicely.  It went into yesterday's asparagus soup.  Yum.  It doesn't taste sour in the soups.  It was pretty yummy on it's own, too.  It'll be nice when I can have a little honey with it.  *drool*

Day 17, Stage 4 (day 1)

Non-boiled food.  *heavenly sigh*
Tonight I had a pork chop.  Baked w/sage, salt and pepper sprinkled on it.  I had wanted to brine it overnight but I just plum forgot.  I read a awhile ago that pork negatively affects your red blood cells.  When you eat it, it's makes them all go crazy.  That is, unless it is marinated for 8+ hours in apple cider vinegar, or some acv concoction - like bbq sauce.  Also, bacon does not have this same effect because it's salted and smoked.  So, I try to soak my pork before I eat it.  I can imagine what the pork chop I just ate is doing to my precious little blood cells right now. 
The following pictures are from the Weston A. Price Foundation site.


FIGURE 1. Microphotograph of blood of male, 52, before consuming the unmarinated cooked pork chop. RBCs are seen as round cells, and small white patches of platelet aggregates are seen. This is the picture of normal, healthy blood.




FIGURE 3. Microphotograph of blood of male, 52, five hours after consuming the unmarinated cooked pork chop. RBCs are entirely stuck together in rouleaux (stacks of coins) formations, and a high level of fibrin, white threads, means that early blood clotting has transpired.


I didn't have time to take a picture of anything tonight...dinner was rushed and I was starving.

I made a delicious creamy asparagus soup:

1 bunch of asparagus cut into chunks
1/2 sweet onion
1 clove garlic
3 cups of chicken broth
sea salt
pepper
4 tbs. coconut oil/butter or both

1 cup soured cream

Saute the onion and garlic on medium in the fat until translucent.  I used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 butter to appease my family's tastes.
Add in asparagus, salt and pepper.  Saute a little longer...maybe 5 minutes.
Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Puree in blender or using an immersion blender.  Puree well - the asparagus is stringy and if you don't puree enough you'll end up with thread-like stringy pieces that compromise the overall enjoyment of the soup.  My kids can attest to that. 
Stir in 1 cup soured cream until throroughly mixed in.  Yum.

It was a beautiful light green and super creamy.  It was good even after it was room temperature.  I'll be making this one again. 

I've also been doing well with the soured cream.  I have not been gassy at all.  Hopefully my blood cells will settle down and stop clotting for no good reason.

My Period (aka Menstruation)

Prior to GAPS, my menstrual cycle was regular, but the PMS symptoms were awful.  I only say "awful" because before I had children, I didn't really have any noticeable PMS symptoms.  In high school, my friends would all complain about cramping; some staying home from school it was so bad.  I was fortunate enough to not be able to relate. 
Fast forward to mommyhood.  I would get a migraine 3 to 5 days before getting my period.  It took quite a few instances for me to make the correlation.  Then I'd get painful constipation and super gassy.  Yes, I'm sharing quite a bit. 
My periods would be heavy, requiring to double up on pads, especially at night during the first few days.  They would last completely for 7 to 8 days. 

Since starting GAPS, my period has changed dramatically.  I'm on the 5th day right now and I've been spotting for 2 days.  I spotted for the first day, had medium flow for 2 days and then began spotting again.  I have had no pain, constipation or migraines. 

I wanted to see if this was normal.  So I went to the GAPS Guide site.  It seems to be a positive side-effect of GAPS!   Win-Win. 

Heal the gut, heal my ovaries. 

Day 16 - Psoriasis Update

It's been 16 days since I began the GAPS diet.  It's been one month since psoriasis came into my life.  Here is what my psoriasis looks like now:

The only other thing I did besides GAPS is lather my hands and feet in coconut oil and wear vinyl gloves on my hands and wrap my feet in plastic bags with socks over them.  I wore them like this pretty much all day.  My heels are still a little cracked, but not nearly as bad as they were a week ago.  With each step my feet hurt. 

Day 16, Stage 3

The blob in the background is on my window, not the glass...not that it makes it better...



I juiced the celery last.  Hence, the greenish juice on top.

I really like juicing.  Let's not talk about the 5 2lb bags of carrots I buy a week, though.  Fortunately, my chickens love the pulp.  They won't eat a carrot, but they'll snack on the pulp.  Whatever they don't eat will become compost, so all is good.  This concoction, which a good photographer would have shot without the dribbles down the side, was yummy. 

Today's Juice:

6 organic carrots
2 organic stalks of celery
1 slice of ginger, about 1/2 inch thick and round.
chunk of beet  (I've read that beet should only be 5% of your juicing veggies)
1 kale leaf

Day 15, Stage 3, Day 6

I made the pancakes again.  This time I used raw sunflower seeds.  I blended all the ingredients in the food processor.  They were not smooth and thin like the other ones.  They were puffier and had bits of sunflower seed in them, giving them texture.  I liked them much better. 


Add caption

New pancake recipe:  2 eggs (we have chickens, so our eggs are super fresh), 1 cup cooked butternut squash, 1 cup sunflower seeds. 

Mix everything up until it's all blended.  It won't be totally smooth, or at least my very old food processor didn't let it get smooth, but that's okay. 

See how much fluffier they are?  Well, maybe not fluffy, but they're thicker and dense and nuttier...or seedier.  Nuttier sounds more delicious than seedier.  Seedier just sounds...suspect. 

I also scrambled an egg, with leftover egg whites from all those egg yolks I had been eating, with some coconut oil.  I have not made any ghee yet. 

Combined with half an avocado and I was totally content with my breakfast.  My husband even enjoyed some and actually had another serving.  I think aliens might have taken over his body.

Day 14, Stage 3 (day 5)

Bubbies Sauerkraut and dill pickles.  I love their pickles!  And they are naturally fermented.  Perfection.
I had never had sauerkraut until today.  I have to be honest.  Off the fork to the mouth...it was terrible.  Well, maybe not terrible.  But it wasn't good.  Mixed in my soup, well, that's another story.  It added a wonderful flavor.

Today's Soup:

1lb ground beef
2 small tomatoes
1 sweet onion
1 small head broccoli
3 cloves garlic
1 turnip
1/8 orange pepper
sea salt
pepper
basil
1 poached egg
2 tbs Bubbies sauerkraut

I've been eating it all day.  It's super yummy. 
My husband has decided to try GAPS for heartburn, crankiness and general overall well-being.  He'll start at the end of the week.  This is going to get interesting!

Day 13, Stage 3 (day 4)

I used a fork today.  It's the little things that make me happy.  I made pancakes today.  My 2-year-old, who is carb happy, ate them and wanted more.  I drizzled a little honey on them for him.  He was in love.

Sunbutter Pancakes

1/2 cup sunbutter
2 cups butternut squash, cooked
3 eggs

Mix all together in blender.  Pour in hot skillet and cook for until bubbles appear, like with "regular" pancakes.  Then flip and cook through...about 1 minute.

I ate them for breakfast.  I also took some along on our family night outing.  Those and a bowl of soup.  The rest of the family had pizza and ice cream.  Fortunately, the owner of the restaurant we went to was kind enough to let me bring in my soup and eat it there.  I was fully prepared to eat it in the car. 

What I've noticed so far - I wake up better.  Prior to GAPS intro, I would go to sleep and sack out.  When presented with my husband waking up and trying to get me up, I was super resistant and cranky.  I would roll over and tell him to go away. 
Now, I actually go to sleep at the same time, sack out, and wake up moments before I need to get up and I'm okay with it. 

I've also noticed that my menstruation is a lot different.  I used to get a migraine a few days before it would start.  I'd get medium cramping at the start and would get painful constipation.  I would be gassy, too.  I've been on GAPS for almost 2 weeks.  My "migraine" came and went with only a glimmer of a headache.  It started and I thought, "Oh, here it comes." I went to bed and woke up without a headache.  It came back for a couple of hours the other day, but wasn't nearly as blinding...nothing even close.  I haven't had any cramping or pain. 

The last difference I've noticed is that I have no body odor.  Now, this is huge.  I mean HUGE.  I have been using coconut oil mixed with a wee bit of baking soda as my deodorant.  It's been a blessing.  But since I've had psoriasis I've only been using coconut oil as the baking soda aggravated the dry spots.  I'm not stinky.  It's pretty amazing stuff. 

How has GAPS benefited your life?

Day 12, Stage 3 (day 3)

Today is Thursday again.  I managed very well today while not being at home.  I remembered food.  I actually brought too much.  I was going to attempt making pancakes with sunbutter (we're allergic to nuts), eggs and winter squash.  I couldn't find the time.  No.  That's not really it.  There isn't a concrete recipe in the GAPS book, so I think I was a bit intimidated by the thought of winging it.  I found a recipe for squash pancakes on Health, Home & Happiness, so I'll try those tomorrow. 

This is day number two with avocado incorporated into my soups.  No adverse reactions. 
I'm still eating kimchi.  I'll be heading out to find Bubbies pickles tomorrow.  And probably sauerkraut.  I'll give it another go. 

Tonight I had another soup.  For me, soups are easy meals.  The less dishes I need to clean, the better, especially since I'm cooking a completely other meal for the rest of my family.

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 sweet onion
1 small zucchini
2 plum tomatoes
handful of dried eggplant (from last summer's harvest)
3 cloves garlic
sea salt
pepper
2 tsp. dried basil (from last summer's garden)

boil 25 minutes.

I ate my kimchi on the side.  There's a poached egg at the bottom of the soup somewhere.  I'm skipping the avocado with this meal.  I ate a whole avocado between breakfast and lunch. 

I also juiced a lot today. 
6 carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 inch slice of ginger (about an inch and a half diameter)

Day 11, Stage 3 (day 2)

This morning I upped my juicing.  I added in a celery rib and some ginger.  I overdid the ginger, so then I upped the carrots.  I ended up with a super large glass of juice.  It was yummy and I think it helped with constipation a bit. 

Tonight I added in avocado.  I love avocado.  I've missed avocado.  Avocado is just so creamy and delicious.  *sigh*

It was so nice to have a favorite food back in rotation.  It added a very nice dimension to my soup. 

I thought if I added the egg into my soup after it was done boiling it would cook enough.  It didn't.  Note to self:  Just poach the egg. 
Soft-boiled eggs don't peel well for me.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know. 

Also, no gas or constipation today.  Three cheers!

2 chicken breast halves
1 small zucchini
1 head of broccoli
1 sweet onion
sea salt
rosemary
pepper

Added in after cooking:
1/4 cup kimchi
1 egg
1/4 avocado

Day 10, Stage 3

Today I added in egg whites.  I became gassy a few hours later, but I'm not sure if that's from the egg whites or from being constipated.  Oh, the things I share on the Internet!

1/2 lb stew beef
1/2 sweet onion
2 handfuls of cauliflower
handful of peas.  Oh, yeah, I added in peas today.
1/2 cup of carrot pulp
boil for 25 minutes
Added in after cooking:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 soft-boiled egg
1/4 cup kimchi

Day 9, Stage 2

I've been on Stage 2 for a long time now.  After doing some research, some people only stay on it for a day or two, depending upon their reactions.  I don't really understand that because beginning in Stage 2 you have a whole array of foods to choose from to work back in.  If you go too quickly, how can you tell what reaction is from which food? 
I've been going about it like feeding an infant for the first time.  I introduce one new food a day.  Today was tomatoes.  Yay, tomatoes!

I only added in one small tomato to my soup.  I was fine.  I had no reason to think I wouldn't be, though.  I have always tolerated tomatoes well.  I think what skeeves me out a bit is that I think I had a reaction to dairy.  Tomorrow I'll be adding in a new veggie.  Probably peas.  Maybe I'll do a new veggie per meal, since I only eat 3 meals and one pureed soup snack.  And by the way, can I just say that going through the grocery store is hell.  Yes. Hell.  I almost bought a peanut butter cup, a Twinkie ( I never eat those either) and an orange.  I really, really wanted an orange.  

Soup:

1 chicken breast

1/2 sweet onion

1 basil leaf

1 small tomato

sea salt

broth



The egg didn't mix in so well...soup was too hot and I didn't stir it enough right away.  It was still yummy. 





Day 7 & 8 - Stage 2 (day 4,5)

I am in love with carrot juice.  Who knew?!

I bought a GE Juice Extractor from Walmart.  It has a 2-year warranty.  There are five parts to clean.  The screen/filter on the inside isn't too tough or too easy.  The little carrot pits get stuck a bit.  But it's not horrendous to clean. 

I juiced 4 carrots yesterday and 10 today.  It breaks down to about an ounce of juice per carrot. 

I drank 4oz of juice yesterday.  I probably drank another 4oz today.  My husband and one of my boys drank some too.  I am pleased to say that my constipation issues got resolved.  Yay!

Type 1 has spent the longest time in the colon and type 7 has spent the least.  Stools at the lumpy end of the scale are hard to pass and often require a lot of straining.  Stools at the loose or liquid end of the spectrum can be too easy to pass - the need to pass them is urgent and accidents can happen.  The ideal stools are types 3 and 4, especially type 4, as they are most likely to glide out without any fuss.

I made a pretty yummy broccoli soup yesterday.  I'll add more of each veggie next time to increase the flavor.  It was a little overrun by the chicken broth.  Or perhaps do half broth and half water. 

3 chunks of broccoli (thick stems with several florets)

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 sm. zucchini

sea salt

broth

boil 25 minutes and then puree. 

This soup is good for on-the-go.  I am used to bringing smoothies wherever I go.  Pureed soups are a nice substitute for that.  You don't need a spoon and you can just pour it into a mason jar.  

Today I made another pureed soup for my traveling needs.  Being a homeschooling mom, we're in the car a lot.  I need snacks.

I made a big batch of this to keep for the week.  You could probably freeze portions and take out when needed.  I know I'll need these within the next couple of days, so I just threw them in the refrigerator. 

1 butternut squash, peeled

1 bag organic carrots

1 sweet onion - large

6 cloves of garlic

5 cups of broth

4 cups of water

ginger - 1" x 4"

Peel and cut all veggies into chunks.  Boil everything for 30 minutes and puree. 

I had a bowl and left a bowl for my husbands lunch tomorrow.  There was enough left to fill three 32oz jars.

They are all the same color, they just look different due to the lighting. 

I didn't know what to do with the pulp so I enlisted the help from some friends.  Throw it in soups or casseroles or cookies or crackers.  They pretty much said to put it wherever you can fit it.  I found a recipe for a raw basil cracker, which I will attempt once I get to that stage. It sounds absolutely divine.



Day 7, Stage 2 (day 4)

I introduced raw homemade yogurt yesterday. 
I didn't have a bowl movement.
I was also gassy beginning late afternoon.

I'm cutting out yogurt.  I'll try it again next week.

According to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
"In cases of stubborn constipation, introduce freshly pressed juices earlier in the diet, from stage 2: start from carrot juice first thing in the morning and take your cod liver oil at the same time.  The juice will stimulate bile production as many cases of persistent constipation are due to poor bile production.  When there is not enough bile, the fats in the food do not digest well; instead they react with salts and form soap in the gut, causing constipation.  Removing dairy may also help."

I don't have a juicer just yet.  I think I'll head out today for one. 

Juicing is expensive - both the juicer and the produce.  I'm not sure how much juicing I'll actually get to do. 

Today's breakfast -

1 chicken breast
1 sweet onion
2 carrots
1 sprig parsley
sea salt

I keep a perpetual crockpot of broth going.  Last night I threw in 2 chicken breasts with bones into the crockpot.  This morning, my chicken was ready.  Yum.

What is it the kids say? Oh, Epic Fail...

I thought I could go through date night with my little guy without going off the GAPS diet. 
We went to see The Secret World of Arrietty.  I did not have any popcorn.  My guy ate the whole bag. 
We then went to Whole Foods Market.  I avoided all the samples.  We decided to eat dinner there.  He wanted pizza.  I looked at the soups.  Triple Squash Soup.  Sounds okay.  Let's read the ingredients.  They went something like this:  Acorn squash, Butternut squash, insert other squash here, salt, pepper, nutmeg, turbinado sugar.  Darn.  Well, I'm super hungry.  A little won't hurt.  I got the medium sized bowl.  I ate about 1/4 of it, if that.  Maybe about a 1/3 of a cup full I'd say. 
The guy wants ice cream.  Off to ColdStone Creamery.  I was okay until I saw their new flavor - Lemon Cheesecake.  I decided to get a sample - about a 1/2 tsp sized taste.  I then moved on to order a kids' size, but please cut that in half.  I wolfed down that 1/4 cup of Lemon Cheesecake goodness.  Then I felt guilty. 
I'm sure tomorrow I'll feel awful...if not later tonight. 

I had 3 or 4 teaspoons of raw homemade yogurt today in my soups.  I've been slightly gassy all night, beginning before the movies.  I'm eating a bowl of soup now without the yogurt.  I'm going to skip yogurt tomorrow and see how I feel. 

Saving Grace?  The next two date nights I'll be staying home because it's my husband's turn.  Perhaps I should refrain from date night while on the intro diet, huh?

Here's a great post from Cara at Health, Home & Happiness on what to do if you cheat and what symptoms you can expect.  http://www.healthhomehappy.com/2012/02/gaps-cheats-what-to-do-if-you-cheat-how-to-cheat-with-minimal-harm.html

"Why Go On GAPS?", You Ask.

I'm going to try to break this down simply.

Leaky Gut = teeny tiny holes in your intestinal walls which don't allow for the proper absorption of nutrients.  In turn, everything, including toxins, can leak out of the intestines.  This can contribute to things like asthma, diabetes, autism, adhd, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus to name a few. 
*The general medical community may or may not agree with the above mentioned statements*

There are many things that can contribute to leaky gut syndrome.  Overuse of antibiotics, medications, poor diet, infections, and toxins are thought to lead to it. 

The GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) aims to help to heal the gut.  It does this by cutting out all the toxins and starting you on a diet of the simplest, nutritive, and easiest foods to digest.  You slowly add in other foods, watching for signs of an adverse reaction.  If you have a reaction, you wait, let your gut heal some more and try again. 

You increase your guts' healing by taking a strong probiotic.  I take Bio-Kult.
I also take cod liver oil caps.  I take Green Pasture's fermented cod liver oil capsules. 

I'm also in the process of researching a juicer.  They are either super pricey or they've got bad reviews.  Yikes.

Can I Really Go Grain Free?

Didn't your momma ever tell you that you can be whatever you want to be?  If you want to go grain free, you can do it! 
In our household, we have nut allergies.  I'd love to be able to substitute almond flour for things, but if I bring nuts into our home someone might die. 

It's amazing some of the combinations of food that create an almost grain texture.  Okay, I know that's not a winning argument.  But mix 2 eggs, a banana and a dash of vanilla together and you've got the batter for a pretty tasty pancake/crepe. 

I love sushi, pizza, pasta, granola and cannolis.  But I love my life more.  I want my children to have a momma who's not deformed or too in pain to play with.  I don't want to die before my parents.  And gosh darnit...I just want to feel good. 

Here's a very concise article regarding the dangers of gluten. 
http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/02/gluten-questions-answered/

Day 6 - Stage 2 (day 3)

I'm feeling pretty good so far.  I haven't had any negative reactions to the diet or introduction of foods.  Yesterday I introduced Brussel sprouts into my soup.  Today I'm trying to introduce a little homemade yogurt. I also made a large batch of soup so I won't have to spend time cooking and letting it cool.  I'm hoping this feeds me all day.  I'm actually thinking it'll be good for two meals. 


Breasts of 1 small chicken
10 Brussel sprouts
3 carrots
1 sweet onion
sea salt
broth to cover




Soup with egg yolk and 1 tsp of raw homemade cow's milk yogurt




All mixed up

I'll add some kimchi once it cools down. 

I have a date with my oldest son tonight.  A little one-on-one time.  We're going to the movies and out to eat.  I'll probably watch him eat while I drink some tea and broth.  Unless there's something I can eat, which I doubt, at Whole Foods Market.  

Day 5 - Stage 2 (day 2)

Today was by far the hardest.  I watch a friend's kids at their home and I had to prepare my lunch there.  I brought enough ingredients, but forgot the kimchi and egg.  I also didn't bring anything to snack on besides ginger tea and peppermint tea.  I was in a house with ice cream, peanut butter cups, Girl Scout cookies (hello Samoas!) and other leftover Halloween and Valentine's Day candy.  The only thing keeping me from indulging, besides the state of my hands, was the thought of what my stomach would feel like and the possible headache I'd get.  I'm going to have to plan a bit better for those days.  I'll make my soup ahead of time and pack the egg and kimchi.  I'll also have to make sure that I have enough something for a snack.  The tea was good, but hardly satisfying as a snack. 



 

1/2 lb Ground beef
2 carrots
4 brussel sprouts
couple stalks of broccoli
couple of cauliflower
some leek
1 clove garlic
broth
sea salt
1 egg yolk




Same as above, just topped with kimchi



Day 4, Stage 2

I spoke with a friend of mine who has been on GAPS for a year.  She said if I was dealing with Stage 1 without an diarrhea then to move onto Stage 2.  Most people can move on after day 1, but I felt like I needed to see if there were any side effects for longer than that. 

What to introduce in Stage 2:

• Egg yolk, carefully separated.  Add it to your soup and mix.  The yolk will blend in nicely.  If there is any white, it'll solidify and look like egg white, so you can pick it out easily. 
• Fermented veggies, like kimchi or sauerkraut.  (Now, I have conflicting reports on this.  The GAPS book says to add fermented veggies in Stage 3, but on the Health, Home, Happiness website, Cara says it's okay to start them in Stage 2.  I love Cara's site and took her advice since I was tolerating the fermented veggie juices.)
• Homemade yogurt, homemade sour cream and kefir. 
• Fresh herbs (no spices)
• Fermented fish or Swedish gravlax
• Other well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root veggies), like turnip & brussel sprouts.
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Homemade ghee

I added in an egg yolk to each soup, as well as a bit of kimchi.  This adds a whole new yummy dimension to the soups I've been eating. 



beef, cauliflower, broccoli, leek, carrots w/egg...see how
creamy it looks with the egg?




ground beef, sweet onion, carrots and zucchini.



ground beef, carrots, leek, and kimchi.

Day 3

I slathered my hands in coconut oil last night and then put on a pair of disposable vinyl gloves.  I wore these for a few hours.  This minimized how dry my hands appeared.  There's not much I can do for the rest of me, but that's okay.  No one can see those parts.  And I don't do much with my knees.

Yesterday's Lunch:

Beef and Broccoli Soup

Ground beef - about a handful of it.
broccoli
red onion
salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth
Boil 30 minutes.

This morning's breakfast:

Chicken and Broccoli Soup

meat of 3 small chicken legs
1/2 the white part of 1 leek
1 bunch of broccoli
1 clove garlic
about 4 cups of chicken broth
Boil 30 minutes

add 1 tsp kimchi liquid after soup cools.

Stage 1 calls for boiled meat.  Natasha Campbell-McBride says to drink broth with every meal and at least one soup per day.  I don't think I could just eat boiled meat with a side of boiled vegetables.  I eat soup for each meal.  Broth, boiled meat and veggies in one. 

The first day I was pretty hungry.  Yesterday I was hungry too.  I'm still feeling hungry.  What I contribute it is to having a different idea of what being "full" is like.  Grains and dairy provide a different fullness than meat and veggies.  If I eat a bowl of cereal or macaroni and cheese I feel like taking a nap.  My belly also feels like there's a brick in it.  This is from the opiate-like reaction from the dairy and grains.  Milk contains a protein called casein that breaks apart during digestion to release a whole host of opiates called casomorphins.  My family drinks raw milk, but in small quantities.  I also make yogurt, sour cream, butter and buttermilk from raw yogurt.  We rarely mix dairy and grains, and if we do, it's plain to see the reaction as everyone slumps on the couch. 

When I feel hungry, I drink more broth.  I was busy yesterday, so I only ate 3 times.  The day before I ate 4 times. 

I also added a teaspoon of kimchi liquid to my soup today.  I'm not a fan of sauerkraut, but I love kimchi.  My mom, however, is in Florida for the next month and a half so I will not be consuming homemade kimchi.  I am spending a ridiculous amount of money for a small jar of it.  I am deficient at making kimchi.  I need to remedy that.

Day 2

For dinner last night I had a bowl of hamburg and broccoli soup. 

Two cups of broth, a handful of broccoli, a premade grass fed hamburg patty and some sea salt and pepper.  I boiled it for 25 minutes, making sure to cut up the patty intermittently.  It was frozen to begin with.  If you just used some ground beef it would be just as yummy. 

The soup was pretty good.  I was actually a little shocked. 

Instead of snacking last night, I made another bowl of soup. 

I cut up some steak, about a palm-sized piece.  Added a small zucchini, some leek, clove of garlic and a carrot.  Let that boil for 30 minutes.  That was delicious, too. 

I think my favorite was the ground beef and broccoli one.  I didn't take any pictures...I just plum forgot. 

Today I feel fine.  I started the day off with probiotics and water.  Then 16oz of chicken broth. 

I have some boiled onion, carrot and chicken soup waiting to cool.  I used a whole red onion, one carrot and the meat from two chicken legs (no thigh).  Boil 25 minutes. 

I'll be making some ginger tea this morning, too.  While I like broth, I can't drink it without salt, which leaves me thirsty.  And water isn't my favorite.  The Gut and Psychology Syndrome book (pg. 148) says I can have ginger, mint or chamomile tea.  Use 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and steep in hot water. 

I have an appointment this morning.  I think that'll be the toughest part of this - leaving the house for extended periods of time.  I'll bring some tea and some broth.  That'll have to tie me over until lunch.

GAPS Intro - Stage 1 - Day 1

I have decided to try to heal my skin by starting the GAPS intro diet.  We tried GAPS before, but that didn't work out so well. 
I have this skin problem that I'd like solved.  I'm thinking that there's something wrong with my gut, so I'm starting there.  At least if I heal my gut and nothing is resolved then I can look elsewhere for help.
I'm not claiming to be a medical professional, this is just my own journey. 

I began this morning with some probiotics and a 1/2 cup of water.  I waited half and hour and then had a cup of chicken broth.  I had a simple soup:
1/2 a red onion
2 green pieces from a leek sauteed in a tsp of coconut oil.  (not GAPS legal, but I stopped after this time)
I added boiled chicken
2 cups of broth. 

From taking the probiotics to eating the soup, it took 2 hours.  This is because I have children. I also had started cooking down some blood orange marmalade.  This is not GAPS friendly, but I will hold onto it until I can eat it...on warm buttered toast.  I'm not going to lie.  This is going to be hard.  The rest of my family is not doing GAPS, so I am cooking for them and me.  I'm hoping these posts help to keep me in check.  I'm also hoping to the first stage for a few days.  Fingers crossed.

I get a lot of my inspiration for eating healthy and doing GAPS via these sites:

Nourished Kitchen

Food Renegade

Health, Home & Happiness

Nourishing Days

Psoriasis

swollen and red hands, week 1

 Two weeks ago I developed swollen red hands and feet.  After a week, they started peeling.  Then I noticed other patches on my knees, elbows, underarms and a strip under my breasts. 


under breasts



elbow



knee



foot

They were a bit tender.  My hands were the worst.  My feet hurt to stand too long on them.  My hands were heat sensitive.  At the end of one week, my fingertips began to peel. 




one week and 4 days



knee, one week 4 days

I visited the doctor two days into the initial symptoms.  She had no idea and had to search the CDC website.  She guessed it was Parvovirus and sent me on my merry way.  One week later, I went to see a nurse practitioner and he said he had no idea, as did the doctor that was consulting.  They ran a blood test for liver dysfunction, Parvovirus and Lyme.  All came back negative.  They wouldn't see me again to run more tests.  They suggested I call a dermatologist.  I called them and they offered me the convenient and helpful appointment on the 24th of this month.  After some words, I have an appointment tomorrow.  Here's what it looks like today:

I bite my nails instead of smoking cigarettes.  I'm one of those with an oral fixation.  My fingernails are small to begin with.  However, after this whole skin peeling, swollen hands thing started, my nails have been weird.  My pinkie nail is just about gone. 
I Googled some info and found that this could all be psoriasis.  The thing that boggles my mind is, if it is, how it just comes out of nowhere and is just here...forever. 
My fingers and hands are tight.  It's uncomfortable to clench my hands and extend them.  They have cracked and bled. 
I'm hoping I can get a diagnosis and start my way onto being well again.  This all kinda stinks. 
Thanks for listening and sorry for grossing you out with photos.