The Root of ALL Sickness & Disease ~ Healing Naturally

I'm not sure I will ever tire of learning about health and healing. You could probably say I somewhat geek out listening to a wide variety of health speakers... Western doctors, naturopaths, homeopaths, Ayurvedic physicians... I ponder what each one has to say, I look up results on what is actually working for people to heal, and when I say heal I don't mean to simply feel better. Through my own health experience I have tried a bit of everything. I was and am determined to be as healthy and strong as possible. I don't want a band aid solution to just feel a bit better, I want to know the root cause and heal the source so the discomfort is disarmed and gone from my body for good. We learn (or should have learned) to take responsibility for our actions at a very young age. If we do something wrong there are most likely consequences. When we turn to the Word we are told very early on in Genesis that we were given a very great responsibility. After creating male and female God said, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." Genesis 1:28-29 If we don't take good care of what the Lord has blessed us with, will their not be consequences? God provided what we needed to survive, to be healthy, and to enjoy life at the beginning of time, so I am starting to wonder why we are trying to alter His perfect design. When I look back at my life it was all up to me on what I put into my mouth and onto my skin. I had the choice of choosing something grown by God in nature or something man made in a lab, most likely with toxic chemicals that were never meant to be consumed. Back then I chose simplicity and what I thought tasted good at the time. I didn't think twice about what went into the food I was eating and I was not in the Word learning how I should live. To be honest I was departing from the ways of the Lord. I find it crazy how the Bible gives so much instruction and inspiration but few have the time to open it up, read it and put the words of wisdom into action. I get it, I've been there. We have busy lives. I'm a picture person and the Bible seemed daunting with all that tiny text. But I learned if you take the time to read it and reread it, you learn more about God and His ways, your relationship with Him starts growing, you start talking directly to Him and trying to do things His way. The most amazing thing is He starts answering you back in His own clever way. Seriously amazing.

Getting back to responsibility, it is up to us to be responsible for our own health and that of our children's. If we are overloading our body with to many toxins, what do we expect to happen? It has a limit. Thankfully for us, God knew what we would do and made our bodies capable of showing symptoms when something is off and needs attention. Problem has come that many are putting off signs and symptoms as normal, or thinking its just what happens as we get older. This is wrong. When symptoms are getting bad enough many go to a doctor for help. I did. Most do. But I hope to broaden your perspective. Does a doctor have the time to ask you all about how you've been treating your body? What you have been eating, drinking, or your environment? Does he or she even have time to hear all your symptoms or is it just the main one? Have you ever asked your doctor how many patients they have completely healed with your same ailment? If you have something more serious I urge you to ask that. Do you question what the doctor is recommending you to take? Do you look at the side effects of the prescription(s) you are given? Or do you simply put all your trust in the doctor because you think they know best since they have a degree in medicine? I've done this. But through my journey I learned this isn't always the best way. Doctors really don't know everything about the body and often never treat it as a whole. No, I'm not anti doctor. There is a special place and purpose for them, like when there is an accident or broken bone or such, but for the most part we have to look back at how we have been caring for ourselves. After all the health talks and readings I have done, it doesn't matter what name the doctor gives our symptom... autoimmune diseases, cancer, dementia, ALL of it, the source of the illness/disease is always the same thing... an imbalance in the system. What do I mean by this? Every person's body requires enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals (most are deficient), to run smoothly. Hormones (critical!) have to be working in harmony with each other. Our bodies require light from the outdoors, movement and exercise for important lymph flow, oxygen and natural detoxification. There could even be an imbalance in what we are thinking... is it too negative? If there is an imbalance, a blockage, toxins start accumulating in the body causing symptoms to appear. If nothing is done to help the body more issues start arising. That is why someone may get the cancer diagnosis. Their body is overloaded with toxins because it hasn't received proper care! The toxins need to be released. Sadly the society we live in today doesn't teach people the huge benefits of caring for ourselves the way we should. So many people have become so focused on making a buck that they alter anything they can get their hands on to sell for a good profit. The drug companies make an outlandish amount of money. But do you know God has already supplied what you need in order to have a healthy body and to heal yourself? He knew how neglectful we would be until we turned to Him. He is our all-knowing Father. He is our Healer. I have heard so many stories of people given so many days, weeks, months left to live by their doctor and this frustrates me to no end. For one, they aren't God. They don't know the number of days you have left. Number two, ALL things are possible with God. (He says so many times in the Bible.) So I believe if you want to be healed and you believe you can be with the help of God you can be well no matter what someone else says.

I hope you will consider my suggestions for healing naturally no matter the diagnosis:

1. A relationship with God, our Creator who knows how our body works... He made us!, prayer for His guidance on what is best for our situation, prayer for wisdom and clarity.

2. Positivity. Look at everything with a positive viewpoint. Praising God for the good and the bad. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." Romans 8:28 During times of hardship and distress we can rely on God for carrying us through and turning our situation for good. See the hard times as a learning, growing experience. Satan is trying to attack us but with God we have victory.

3. Cleaning up our diet, getting back to nature and eating what we were meant to from the beginning. ORGANIC. Primarily what comes from plants. The Bible mentions a few times, "Plant gardens and eat what they produce." One source, Jeremiah 29:5b.

4. We must continually be removing toxins from our bodies. Focusing on digestion is critical to get the nutrients you need as well as moving everything through the body. A good bowl movement after every big meal is necessary otherwise their is a blockage and it will affect your entire system. Sweat, enemas, reflexology, acupressure or acupuncture for good flow. Lots of good clean drinking water. Very important, seriously ill people need to focus on eliminating toxins!

5. Vitamins and minerals. Lacking one can cause an imbalance and a domino effect of issues. Health of eyes, skin, nails, hair are just a few parts that will show if you are lacking in some area. If digestion isn't strong then one may be unable to use the nutrients they are taking in, so again digestion is key.

6. Herbs are nature's natural prescriptions for our body, without the crazy long list of side effects like man made prescriptions. The Chinese are well aware of their numerous benefits and have used them for hundreds of years. There is something for all ailments. Some may very well be growing in your back yard.

7. Destressing, deep breathing, getting out in nature, walking, gardening, playing with animals, enjoying the beauty around you. This lifts your spirit, your mood and is healing emotionally as well as physically.

8. Good, quality sleep is needed to heal. Dark, no electronics, to bed as early as possible after the sun goes down. Thanking God for the day.

These are just the main points that stick out to me. All of them done together will greatly improve one's health. Healing is all about determination. Yes, God can do a healing miracle just by prayer alone, but a lot of times I think He wants us to take responsibility for our health and use what He has supplied around us. Many people have experienced their own healing journey in order to help others. I believe many of us have limited God for too long. Lets work WITH Him to make amazing things happen TODAY! Put your trust in Him and His amazing power.

Wishing you good health and happiness!

"But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 30:17a

Disclosure: I am not a doctor but have been on an extensive health journey, done lots of research

 and have experienced healing. I hope to empower others by sharing what has helped me and my daughter. 

My desire is for you and your family to feel well and enjoy life the way God intended. That is my purpose.

Healing ~ It's in the Food!

{turkey and avocado on sprouted buckwheat groat bread}

Some days feel like I don't get much accomplished as a lot of time can be spent in the kitchen. When I started the Enduring Health Journey website my husband was pushing me to join instagram which inspired me to photograph the food I was cooking. I love capturing moments on camera so instagram has turned out to be a good fit for me. I hope I can inspire others to try eating some new, healthy meals. (You are welcome to follower me HERE.) Even if it is only me that looks at my account, I enjoy looking through the photos to see where my time goes... it is in preparing healthy meals that will nourish my body as well as my family's; it is in overall wellness. Kaelyn likes to push me to create new foods and I enjoy experimenting, especially when it turns out delicious! This statement makes me laugh, because not even five years ago, I disliked spending any time in the kitchen and didn't think I could cook anything! Vegetables were scarce in our house. So much has changed. I have grown, I have found foods my taste buds thoroughly enjoy, foods I would have never tried if it wasn't for my health spiraling downward. I now thank God every day for the food, and healing He has provided. We have found first hand how extremely important food is to one's well being. Please don't let anyone tell you differently, not even a medical doctor. Food IS the best medicine!

{warming bean stew}

I listened to the whole series of "The Truth About Cancer" by Ty Bollinger which was very good and informative. I was impressed by how many people and doctors he interviewed along with the wide distance he covered. Although the video is focused on the many ways to heal cancer naturally it really tells you how to heal pretty much any form of disease. I was pleasantly surprised that all my points I have listed on my Regaining Health page were talked about in the videos. They are all important steps to healing. I was also impressed by their spiritual stand... God is needed in order to heal, along with the food/herbs He has provided, this is the way to victory in health.

{chocolate ganache pie}

In other health news, the Food Revolution Summit starts tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to listening to as many of the speakers as I can over the next few days. Knowledge is power. You can go HERE to here Ty Bollinger and Ocean Robbins talk a little about it along with some other good health info.

Have a great weekend!

Thankful for Good, Healthy Food!

It doesn't get much better than enjoying a delicious meal with family. Kaelyn looks forward to every single meal. What makes it even better is that we know we are eating items that are healthy for our bodies... God made, God given. Thankfully after omitting several foods (like all forms of grain, sweeteners and high starch vegetables) from our diet when we were cleansing our gut and healing from Candida, we were finally able to add several back in, and we couldn't be happier! The dish above is one of our family favorites. Organic brown basmati & wild rice with zucchini, organic carrots, onion, fresh garlic, ghee, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, freshly ground cumin, chicken broth (or clean water or bone broth for cooking the rice in) and sometimes chucks of chicken. We hope we have inspired you to try it and that you and your family will enjoy it as much as we do.
I meant to get this post up this past Thursday, but I've been so busy in the kitchen, finally getting some of our favorite pantry staples listed on our websites Essentials Page, and then with regular work and happenings... I'm a bit behind.
Also, the first Enduring Health Journey newsletter was released last week!!! It was a bit lengthy, but since I am planning on just sharing them quarterly I wanted to share a good amount of information. Thank you so much to those who signed up and for the positive feedback I have received! It means so much! Also for those who have signed up after the first one went out I will be forwarding it to you so you don't miss out on anything. If you haven't signed up and would like to you can go to the bottom right of any of our Home pages and type in your name and email to get yours!

One more thing, since health and healing is so important to us, there is a new series coming out about cancer, ways to heal and prevent it naturally. Being that more and more people are getting the dreaded diagnosis, I think this would be beneficial for everyone to watch. It is free. I like to say, knowledge is power, so never stop learning... Click the link for more information:

https://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/?ref=1cdaa8b6-6d81-4faf-b9b2-9faf3029ed55

Have a fabulous weekend!

Health, Happiness, Wellness... Tips from a 93 year old!

I would like to introduce you to my Grandma and Kaelyn's Great-Grandma. She is an amazing soul, and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. I treasure every moment we are able to spend with her, every moment my daughter gets to laugh and play with her. Looking at her life, at her experiences, her responses to situations, to the struggles she endured... I see her as a teacher. Her chosen actions and responses impact me, my daughter, and all around her... at times we didn't even realize it, she probably didn't realize. This all points to the amazing power of the Holy Spirit that works in each of us if we allow it. When we are open to the Spirit, others around us are moved in ways we can't always explain or know. We hold a power that is powerful within, that can do so much good in lives around us and even in our own. I've witnessed my grandma go through great pain, I saw her go through the loss of my Grandfather many years ago (which was actually the second husband she lost to death). I've seen her battle serious health issues, I've heard other stories of her great strength... and through it all, it is undeniable that her strength comes from the Lord. I can see how blessed she is and how she is such a blessing to those around her... or even many, many miles away to complete strangers. She is a giver. God is a giver. He works through her. God carried her through pain, to share a strength through her that couldn't have otherwise been shared. She was taught how to be independent in this world, but I believe she was also taught to be dependent on the Lord. I love watching my grandma. Sure she has had great hurts in the past, experienced pain, but she has always been carried through, and she always comes out with a renewed strength and a joy for life. Yes, she enjoys life... at 93 years old she is enjoying life! Lately when I stop by her house she is thrilled to be knitting again, blankets, scarves, nothing looks alike. She doesn't even know what's going to unfold. It's like watching a kid unwrap something they have been wishing for. You see pure delight in the eyes... it is priceless. I see God blessing her with joy. 

My grandma has many interests. She is not what many picture as an ordinary grandma who sits in a rocking chair all day. Of course she likes to do her fair share of reading, she loves a good book and has hundreds of them, but she moves around, she takes care of things in her big yard, she plants a big garden every year... a highlight of hers is growing flowers, and of course she likes to give many of them away during the warmer months. She's definitely the light to others around her. I pray that I will be like her, that my daughter will learn her ways, because really her way is the Lord's way. She is humble, she gives way more than what she gets in return, she chooses her words carefully, she plants a garden and eats what it produces, she prays and gives thanks, she takes care of herself, she is self controlled, she listens, she hugs, she loves...

No one that sees her out and about can guess her age. Many think she's in her 70's which always makes us laugh. To feel good and alive at her age, what a blessing! When I was little I never wanted to grow old. I always looked at aging as rather depressing and didn't see the joy that could be, but now through Grandma, I can see it, I can see the good. And I should have seen it through her mother who lived over a hundred and was doing so well. My Great-Grandma had also lived a good long life, was blessed by the Lord... but I learned even more from my Grandma as I have spent more time with her. Time, it is precious. It is a gift I am thankful for. I am thankful for the moments I am able to go to her house and pick her mind for more information on days past, on health, and overall wellness. I see the good that has come from her past experiences and I want to learn as much as I can from her in the time we have. In one of our afternoon chats I asked her a few questions that I could share with others, in hopes to inspire someone else... or even just myself. Here are a few of my questions with her answers:

What do you believe helped you to live a long, happy, healthy life?

Her response, not in order of importance...

1. Pray~unceasing and don't forget to thank God for all His many blessings.

2. Have numerous interests. Some of hers include: books, music, stamps, cooking, writing. (I have to add, she is the queen of word games/puzzles. Most of us don't stand a chance & don't even compete with her in Scrabble. Bananagrams we might get lucky if we tell her to use words we know.)

3. Strive to have a happy family and good friends.

4. Try to eat healthy.

5. Attend Bible classes and read the Bible daily.

[Some of this information has been updated: April 9, 2016] Due to my and Kaelyn's own health journey and seeing the importance of healthy food, I often ask Grandma what she eats and what she ate as a kid. Information has continued to grow in this area. So far she has shared that when growing up they would walk to a near by neighbor and get raw milk, then later on had some delivered. She likes her milk! They ate lots of eggs and homemade sauerkraut. They didn't have all the greens like we do today, like kale. And they didn't have cauliflower or broccoli. She remembers her mom giving her and her siblings cod liver oil and she hated it! Today she grinds up flax and walnuts regularly to put on her breakfast, along with 1 whole banana to keep her potassium levels good. She likes to juice in the summer and makes the yummiest apple juice from her own apples. She also has lots of her own asparagus in the warmer months. Her meal portions are always small and she chews well which is great for digestion! These were just a few of the healthy food tidbits that stood out to me from some of our conversations and simply by watching her.

Another question, What do you wish you had known at a much younger age?

She said, "How terribly important communication is, with parents, friends, family members, especially husbands and even acquaintances."

Grandma didn't include God in this answer but from looking at her life (and even looking at her previous answer) I can see that her communication with Him is strong, and has likely grown over the years. How I see it, communication builds strong, healthy relationships.

Last question, If you could change anything, what would it be?

Her response, "I'd listen more and talk less!" 

I had to laugh, because I don't see her as talking too much. If anything I want her to share more! She is like a wealth of information. Her experiences equal knowledge. She learned, she grew and now she shares. :)

We love you Grandma, Great-Grandma! Thank you for sharing your time with us! You are a treasure.

If you follow us on instagram you saw that these health books are on loan from Grandma. I'm excited to look through all of them! :)

Newsletter... Breakfast Plus

The first Enduring Health Journey newsletter will be coming out towards the end of next week! Recipes, health tips and other inspiration will be included in each letter. Thank you to all those who have already signed up. We are looking forward to sharing more health info with you! This first quarters newsletter will contain some of our breakfast ideas along with the recipe of our favorite which is pictured above. If you are interested in signing up please go to the bottom right of any of the home pages HERE and type in your name and email. We hope you will be inspired. ♥

Live Simply ~ Restoring Health

One of the key points to restoring our health has been to simplify. We've all heard the saying, "Less is more." But do we really stop to think how important that statement really is? When we first took our health into our own hands, food was our first priority. Hello ingredient labels. Every single item we picked up at a store, the ingredient list was read. If you have food allergies or have a family member with them you are probably aware of how important this task is. But everyone who suffers from not feeling their best should really start looking into what is actually in the foods they are eating. The fewer the ingredients the better. Make sure you know what the ingredients are. If it states something you haven't heard of you might not want to be eating it. And if there are artificial or GMO ingredients listed, put the box back on the shelf. Seriously, you don't want to be doing your body more harm! Another common saying, "You are what you eat." Are you junk? No. Do you eat junk? Well, if you do you might not be feeling so great and if you don't feel the repercussions now you most likely will sometime in the future. I know this very well. Oh how I loved to eat a LARGE bag of M&M's, plain or peanut... I was happy. I was also very happy eating an entire box of macaroni and cheese, and no, not the homemade, healthier version. I vividly remember my husband telling me how terrible the mac & cheese was, that it WAS NOT cheese! I paid no attention to him. I loved the taste, didn't feel bad when I ate it, so I ate a lot of it. Down the road I most definitely paid the price for how I treated my body. You could say I fed my body trash, and I was becoming what I was eating. I felt terrible!

So back to simplifying... we had to take steps. First my daughter and I made the move to what we thought was healthier, premade gluten, dairy, egg, nut free products in the health aisle. If it is in the health aisle it should be healthy, right? Not so much. Marketing friends, can be quite evil. Claims on a box, fancy packaging, commercials and such does not mean an item is good for you. Smart marketing means more sales and more money made. Being a graphic designer, I have worked in marketing. Its all about making something look good to make a sale, so beware of who's pocket you are filling. Is it someone who cares about your health? When our health was still failing, we had to look more seriously into what we were eating. Our food list was then simplified... a lot. Try an ingredient list with only one ingredient. Pure, nothing else added, certified organic... free of chemicals and other harmful substances... this was our healing food. This kind of food restores the body. A way to feel good and alive again... it is food simplified. Grow it, eat it. Buy meats/produce from a Farmers Market. Know where your food comes from. It's worth it to feel good, so do what you can to eat good. It makes a BIG difference!

Living simply doesn't end with food. Look at what's around you, what you put on your skin, what you use on your laundry, all your cleaning supplies... the environment that surrounds you. Less is more. Again, we made several changes. It took time, but we simplified and honestly it is quite freeing to be rid of so much... junk. I still need to work on simplifying clutter in my home but I'll get there... in time. Begin with one step. If I can do it, you can do it. My fridge is clean and only houses what we need for the week, healthy food. My shampoo is one ingredient. Same with my conditioner. I had no idea that two simple ingredients plus water could clean my hair so well. Our laundry detergent is non-toxic and hypoallergenic. Our soaps are simplified. Our water is now filtered and free of contaminants. Yay! We have made so many changes and I will be sharing what we have done over the next few weeks. Be purposeful with a positive mindset to live simply, healthier and your entire body will thank you. Don't wait, start now.

Recipe ~ Venison Roast & Red Cabbage

I have to laugh when I think back to my life before healthy eating. I had never bought cabbage let alone eaten it... until I accidentally quickly grabbed a green cabbage head from the grocery story thinking I was getting a head of lettuce, probably to go with some Mexican dish. When I got home and unwrapped it I thought this doesn't look like lettuce and I tried a bite and thought it was completely disgusting. Oh, how I've come a long way!!! Although I threw out that first head of cabbage I now buy green and red cabbages regularly and love it! My family does too. My daughter has not been a big fan of roasts. She thinks the meat is too chewy. On one of the days I wanted to try something new or just didn't have another veggie to pair the meat with I decided to try it with red cabbage, and it was good. So good, my daughter ate her whole bowl full without any complaint and wanted more. :) Red cabbage is a bit sweeter than the green and was a yummy compliment to the venison. This easy to make dish works great for anyone on a limited diet due to allergies, Candida, or pretty much any health issue. I certainly enjoy making dishes that don't require a lot of time and work... this is a good match. We hope you will like it as much as we do.

Venison Roast & Red Cabbage

1 venison roast (or beef roast~we get organic grass fed beef)

5 stalks organic celery (more or less to your liking)

1-2 onions (we usually use white but any color is fine)

1 large garlic clove - finely chopped

sea salt

pepper

First wash the celery well and cut about every inch. Line the bottom of your crock pot with the celery chunks. Then peal the onion(s). Cut in thicker pieces, not too small. Layer the onion over the celery. Then put your roast on top, and the finely chopped garlic pieces on top of the roast. Cook on low til done. (mine usually goes from about lunch time to supper on low. Towards the end add sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

1 small to medium red cabbage head

2 large garlic cloves - finely chopped

1/4 tsp sea salt (about)

1 rounded tablespoon coconut oil

Preheat oven at 400. While it is warming add coconut oil to baking dish (I use 3 quart glass pyrex; if you use a larger dish either shorten baking time or lower temp to 375) and put in oven to melt. Wash cabbage and cut into bite size pieces. Part way through cutting cabbage take out the coconut oil that should now be melted and add chopped garlic and sea salt. Stir well. Finish cutting the cabbage and add it to the pan. Mix it well with the oil mixture and put in the oven to bake for 15 min. After time is up take out and stir, the top parts of the cabbage may be getting browned make sure they get put down towards the bottom of the dish. Put back in the oven for an additional 10-15 min. Make sure not to overcook the cabbage or it won't have as much flavor. When cabbage is almost done cut roast into bite size pieces and pair it with the cabbage when baking time is complete. Add more seasoning to the dish if you so choose. Serve and enjoy!