My Journey (and some cool health lists to get you started)

Well it seems to have been eons since I last posted on this blog site, but this doesn't mean I've been standing idly by, waiting for my health to improve. I have been actively trying to make myself healthier. It has been a long hard trek, but slowly I am getting results. Life gets hectic with 3 little ones and work, so I don't get to post as often as I'd like, but I am still healing heading in the right direction.

My life for the past 5 months has changed completely. I have increased my movement (walking more and doing some VERY light exercise that doesn't affect my joints which are not happy chappies). I have eaten a whole lot of things that I thought I would never eat! See my blog post A Doctor's home cure for Arthritis. I have cut out sugar in all forms, wheat, gluten, carbs and alcohol and am eating mostly organic veggies and grass-fed meat wherever possible. I am also not eating any processed foods or foods that my grandmother would not be able to identify.

I have some tips for anyone wanting to follow the same sort of path. Be warned it is not easy, but well worth the effort.

1. Get your mind right 
If your mind isn't right, don't bother. Your mind is your strongest ally and your greatest enemy. If you are not 100% committed to do this, quite simply, you are setting yourself up for failure. You can get inspiration from others, but you are the only one who will be there, day after day, lifting you up or bringing you down.

2. Surround yourself with like-minded people
This is critical. You cannot do this on your own BUT this doesn't mean that you have to have support from those around you. Whaat? That doesn't make sense, does it? Well actually it does. When I say "surround yourself" it doesn't mean that you literally have to be surrounded, you can surround yourself with social media. My family are not very keen on doing what I'm doing, so I have joined some Facebook groups that inspire me, show me how others are battling with the same issues and how they have overcome them. There is one in particular that is awesome called Sleek Geek.

3. Prepare to fail
Again this may seem crazy but it isn't. Any strict eating plan cannot be adhered to 100% for the rest of your life without unhappiness or a complete change of friends. For me, the trick is to prepare for the failures and work them into your routine. For instance, if I go out for dinner to a restaurant or a friend's house and there is no organic food (that's pretty much every time), then I eat what is available to the best of my ability. I don't want to become a hermit and say no to invitations out, due to dietary restrictions that I have placed on myself for a disease that I have, so I prepare to fail FOR THAT MEAL ONLY.

4. Don't allow failure to become permanent
When I am invited out, I may have carbs and sugar and gluten but I don't go crazy and say "what the hell, I'm cheating anyway" and order fettuccine Alfredo. I try to eat as close as possible to what I am allowed.  I am aware of every mouthful of the items I'm not supposed to consume and I don't allow it to become a full on binge. Perhaps my host has prepared a lovely meal, then I eat the meal. If there is a beautifully homemade pudding as well, I will have a small helping, or maybe a large one, but that is it. Usually if I have "cheated" on the meal, then I will resist chocolate afterwards. It is imperative that I don't just let go, because then I will never get back on track. I am an addict so I can very easily slide back down that slippery slope.

5. Make each meal as nutritious as possible
If you are eating non-nutritious food, then what is the point? As I am typing this, I have just consumed 2 slices of amazing gluten-free bread. Wow it was amazing, I haven't had bread for months and this was like eating white bread. I was so excited to be given this as a gift, that I toasted and ate 2 slices with butter for breakfast. It was divine. It was allowed. But the nutrient value was pretty much zero. Therefore I won't be doing that again. Next time, I need to add an egg and some avo or something to make it more nutritious. So when I can do better, I will, but that doesn't make this breakfast any less enjoyable. It's over. It's not a failure, it's a learning curve and I am in charge. I saw it for what it was, I ate it and now I move on to be better next time.

6. Make your meals and your life more interesting
I struggle with this. I often eat the same thing over and over again due to convenience and then become bored. Spend time finding new ways of doing things and alternate meals. My downfall is sweet things, so I have to plan to avoid these. I know that if I sit and watch TV at night, then I want to eat chocolate but if I sit at my PC then I don't (see, I'm eating bread instead ha ha). I try to laugh more and do more interesting things than I used to do. This also keeps my mind off "comfort eating." There are also plenty of websites with avid cooks who give great ideas including healthy sweet things (it is best to avoid even natural sugars as they are addictive). Whichever way you want to eat, there is someone on the web who is dedicated to helping you live and cook in that way. Some are extremists, but do what resonates with you - find your own balance.

8. Plan
My absolute downfall is allowing myself to get too hungry. I get home and devour everything in the house. Getting too hungry without access to quick, good food is a disaster waiting to happen. Last week I allowed myself to get too hungry and everyone was having hot dogs, so I had one. It wasn't even nice and I felt bloated afterwards, so I hopped onto the walker and walked it off. It made me feel like I was repenting for the sin! I hadn't planned. Now I try to always have boiled, peeled eggs in the fridge and a quick handful of nuts to get me over the just-got-home starvation period. If I was orgaised I would have veggie sticks all cut up but hey I'm just not that organised! I also make egg muffins on Sunday, which last me quite a few days and now soup is my latest go-to-quick-fix for winter. (See the link to the lists of soup recipes - and everyting else - at the bottom of the page).

8.  Move and Sleep 
My motto is "You don't have to run a marathon, just move more than you did yesterday". I have a disease that many people do not understand, hell I don't even understand it properly. Some days I am pain-free and others I can hardly walk. So to tell me to go and join a club where I will be pushed to do certain exercises at a certain rate, is unrealistic. I understand that other people don't get this. Fortunately with age comes wisdom and I know what I can and can't do. Do I need motivation? Hell yes!! Do I need someone to tell me to do more? Definitely! But it is a tad difficult trying to explain to someone who saw me running yesterday, that I can't even walk today. So I need to be my own advocate. That being said, I also need accountability. Don't use not being able to do it as an excuse. Do something else, but do it. Get off your ass and join other like-minded people and get some accountability. My FitBit is my accountability and I strive to do as well as I can (because it has a great memory with a graph! Yikes I can hobble run but I can't hide! Moving intentionally is critical to success. Do something you enjoy. I compete with myself all the time - I'm weird that way. Along with movement comes sleep - huh? Isn't it just the opposite? Well yes it is, but without sufficient sleep you are sabotaging your efforts. Make sure you get enough sleep for your body otherwise you will be too tired to do any of the above and then emotional eating looks soooo good.

9. Be Brave
People are going to tell you that you can't do it. You've always been a certain way. You can't eat like that forever, it's not sustainable to eat that way, but it's not their life. You need to stand up for yourself in a way that you feel comfortable. That may mean speaking up and confronting the negativity or it may mean ignoring comments, keeping your head down and focused, depends on your personality. Look at yourself in the mirror and say "I will never be like this again. I have only one body and it deserves to be nourished and treated properly and that starts NOW!"

10. Health is a journey, not a destination
We will never "get there" and be able to eat unhealthily again. We will never be able to just lie on the couch all day eating chips. Health is a constant journey of choices. If we make too many bad choices, our health suffers, too many good choices and we may suffer socially (no Christmas pudding or birthday cake makes life dull). Life and health is a balancing act. We need to keep the balance right in order for our bodies and minds to function optimally. When you fail (and you will fail, no it's not negativity, it's reality), you get up. Don't look back, only look forward. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow hasn't happened yet, the only time you have is now. Choose wisely now and prepare to choose wisely tomorrow.

The human body is an amazing thing, it can be abused for years before showing signs of wear and tear, therefore one or two bad choices won't derail your healthy plan unless you allow those choices to lead to more bad choices.

The 3 things you can do as a first step are 1. Move more, 2. Eat real food and 3. Start NOW!

Sounds so easy! GET OFF THE COUCH!!!

I may not get it right every day and that's ok. Life happens. But I am important enough to keep trying, trying to be the best that I can be. For myself, for my family and to fulfil my purpose of being put here. I'm not here to exist, I'm here to live, love and experience life to the fullest! See my post On Purpose

Good luck on your journey! We all have different finishing lines, but we will all finish. Life is the strangest journey of all, the winner is the one who crosses the finish line last, in good health, sound mind and humour in tact.
I stumbled across this fabulous link that uses 24 diagrams showing how EVERYTHING works. How to make a quick soup, how to make a smoothie, what does one serving of fruit look like, what to use as substitutes in recipes. what is and isn't Paleo, everything you need to know to get started and keep going. I know that I will be referencing this often. Hope you enjoy it!

Ta da!! Here it is!!   Eating Health is Super Easy

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Coke vs Fruit Juice

How much sugar is in Coke

I found this disturbing picture when I was searching for some marketing material for my marketing lectures. I've never been a great Coke fan but when I was pregnant I would have sold my soul for a glass of ice cold Coke, so I understand the attraction. I am also married to a closet Coke addict, who given half a chance will have Coke every day.  When I met hubby waaaayyyy back in 1991 he was drinking more than 2 litres of Coke A DAY yikes!  We all know that Coke is not good for you but only when you see the sugar content in "real" terms does it really hit home. Hubby was consuming almost 30 tsp of sugar per day! Amazing what a young body can cope with and still function optimally.

I've read some real horror stories on how you can clean your toilet with Coke and how bad it is for you because it leeches all the calcium and nutrients from you bones and if you leave a tooth in Coke overnight it dissolves! So it's kind of a no-brainer that when you drink Coke your body is put under a large amount of strain, not only to accommodate all that sugar but also to digest and remove all those chemicals from your body.

But let's be honest, it's not only Coke, it's pretty much all sodas or cool drinks as we refer to them here in Sunny South Africa. But what is the alternative? Diet Coke? Reading about sugar substitutes makes it even scarier, especially for those with a history of cancer in the family, so you're pretty much screwed if you have a prominent "cancer gene" as well as a "fat gene" because, as my granny used to say, "you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't!" Read Sweet Poison if you haven't already.

Non-nutritive sweeteners are no-nos in our family, but the "fat gene" is an unwelcome visitor, so I am very frustrated. What do we give our kids to drink?

Fruit juices are laced with sugar, even when the label states "no sugar added". Did you know that 100% pure fruit juices are concentrated pure juice to ensure that the drinks are sweeter? That's how the manufacturers can claim that it is 100% pure! Only problem is that instead of drinking all the water that has been removed, which would fill you up so you can't drink tons of it, the remaining pulp has been turned into a syrup with a tiny bit of water added and then served as a health drink, or at least a healthy alternative! I always wondered how the fruit juices tasted better than the fruit! Sigh - where do we turn?


Let's all drink WINE!!

Why aren't the FDA stepping up? Or is this another Killer in our Kitchens like Aspartame?

I came across this study showing Branded foodstuffs in the US which contain large amounts of harmful food colourings / dyes.  Shockingly enough, these are products marketed for children to consume and the FDA have agreed that the levels are too high but have done nothing to rectify it.

Here in South Africa no study has been done that I am aware of, although some of these sweets are available here. My kids (and I) have eaten these at parties or when we are out with friends (we don't buy them as a norm) but it really makes you wonder how safe all the rest of our food is.

The number of allergies and intolerances in children has sky-rocketed over the past 2 decades and there are many more cases of neurological disorders reported than ever before.

Now I must apologise to Nestle. About 5 years ago (just when my children were starting to have birthday parties) Nestle changed Smarties from beautiful, brightly coloured orbs into dull, lifeless, pathetic little things and I was mad!! Just when I was about to start making bright cakes with bright Smarties!! They said it was because they wanted to reduce the amount of dye in the products and I was livid!  Who cared about the dye? Hadn't we all grown up eating Smarties and we were all fine? NO. Over the years the dyes were made cheaper and nastier and we didn't know the difference, we're consumers, not food technologists!! We rely on regulators such as the FDA to take decisions on our behalf, so I have changed my anger to direct it where it is due, at the organisations put in place to protect us and our children from harmful foods and additives. So Nestle I apologise because you were trail blazers and although I don't know what's in those colours now, I'm sure it's a lot less harmful than they were.

Of course I also only started educating myself and began caring when my daughter began to be one of the affected ones and the impact of these foreign ingredients forced our family to start questioning everything we ate. This put us on the path of seeking REAL food without the weird stuff.  See The Eczema Chronicles for updates.

Interestingly, on Saturday, for the first time I saw protesters at our local mall protesting GMO seeds. Maybe there are more people becoming aware.

To read the study click on the link below.
Study showing Brands with harmful dyes

Stinky Stuff

One of the things I really hadn't given a second thought to, when I started trying to be more healthy, was what we put ON ourselves. I was so pre-occupied about what we put IN ourselves that this little gem didn't cross my mind. I remember Mrs Sharples, my standard 6 (Grade 8) Home Economics teacher, warning us about wearing anti-perspirant deodorants. She made sense at the time, saying anything that stops the sweat from leaving your body cannot be a good thing as it forces your body to absorb it and release it in another way. Agreed, but at the tender age of 13 she was speaking to bullet-proof teenagers who were boy-crazy and were only interested in smelling nice, so that that boys would like them and girls wouldn't tease them. We were not very receptive.

When I stumbled across this article Top 7 Ingredients to avoid in a deodorant, I decided to check my deodorant's ingredients and low and behold, mine has 6 out of 7 of the toxic ingredients! Seeing as I have been using deodorant for MANY years (I'm not going to say how many, but a lot), this can't be good for me, putting these chemicals on my skin day in and day out. Mitchum deodorant advertises that their product is so effective that you can skip a day. The reason for this is that the chemicals remain on your skin even after washing, again a bit of an eye-opener. 

Okay so this article makes sense and I think I should make a change, scan down to what they suggest......

BUT

What do they recommend? Not shaving! Apparently openiong up the hair folicle after shaving is the kiss of death, allowing the toxins free access to your pit and lymph nodes. Otherwise? Washing your pits with soap and water twice a day! Seriously?? Who has the time to do that? I can just picture me, excusing myself from a meeting and nipping into the bathroom at work for "the wash". Seriously, how would I do it? Have one arm in my blouse, the rest of the top around my neck, my bra wound around the blouse already around my neck, while I lean over the basin and wash my arm pits one at a time, trying not to splash on my bra, top, shoes etc! Lovely image. And then I suppose I would either have to bring my own bar of soap or dispenser to work or use the pink standard-issue soap from the hand wash dispenser, boy I'd love to smell like that all day *not*.  Then do I have to hang under the hot-air blower to dry off?  I can see those promotional prospects disappearing before my eyes as I get labelled as the whack-job in the office. OK to be fair I may already have that title........

Googling this topic has been interesting! Apparently I can even make my own deodorant wahahahahaha *pause* wahahahahahaha. I'd love to spend my weekend making my own deodorant *not*.

Why is EVERYTHING healthy so damn INCONVENIENT?? Well it does seems that way. Okay, way down at the bottom of the article it does state that you could find some natural deo and I think I've seen a Salt Crystal one somewhere long long ago and there are quite a few on the internet. So I suppose I better start looking around to see where on earth I can find a natural deo without importing it from Germany. If I find one I'll let you know! 

Until then....... to stink or not to stink? That is the question!!

Bone Broth - The Great Health Elixer

I have made quite a few changes to our food consumption as a family since finding out that I have some sort of disease that seems to change on a quarterly basis. Currently my pain levels are so great that I am inspired to intensify my search for better foods, which I am not finding to be easy in this remote part of Africa. In the "real" food department we are seriously lacking.

My latest discovery that I just have to share with you, is bone broth, yes the stuff that Granny used to make from left over bones, the stuff that she would re-use in curries, stews, casseroles and the good old South African bredie. Now Granny used to make this stock/ broth to save money and add flavor to the next dish she was making, so it is quite understandable that this long, drawn-out process was slashed from our to-do lists as soon as we were able. After all, who had the time to boil meat bones for hours on end right? 

After being exposed to some bone broth fundis, I suddenly began to realize what the fuss was about. I can honestly say that I have not consumed bone broth in any way, shape or form in the past 20 years and I have never fed my children this delicacy. A few years ago I was stunned at the pharmaceutical sales of a product for arthritis which contained Glucosamine and Chondroitin, the magic pills to help with cartilage erosion and the pain induced from this condition. The product literally flew off the shelves. I wondered at the time, why there was such a major surge in arthritis sufferers. Now I discover that meat, chicken and fish bones contain these miracle ingredients (including a whole lot more - see list below) and the only reason so many people need to take this (super-expensive) supplement is because they we are too darn lazy to make bone broth and add it to other meals. Problem is that I've realized that there are very few meals that I COULD add this to - eek! I also couldn't understand why our black population are not suffering as much from diseases which seem to be increasing in the white population - the majority are still eating "the old way" due to financial constraints and their most popular meal is bone broth (made from any part of the animal they can find e.g. feet, necks, gizzards) spooned over pap to add flavour to their meal - wow, a real eye-opener. Are the more privileged getting "privileged" diseases because we are no longer wanting to eat the "yucky" parts of the meat?

Upon scrutinising our lifestyle, I was shocked to realise that although we eat a lot of chicken, we never put pieces, on the bone, into any type of stew where the bones could leach their goodness into the food, we always cut up breast fillets. All the "gross" bits have never entered my home!! I have also only given my children this type of meat; is this why I have a child with immune issues linked to her gut health? I'm pretty sure that this answers the question of why my cartilage is dwindling. 

So I have started to make the broth and it is damn time-consuming (boiling bones from 6 - 12 hours is a pain) but it makes sense. I am now sneaking it into meals without anyone knowing (popped it into bolognaise last week). But the real challenge is to get more of this broth into my family in ways that will turn meals on their heads and change our way of cooking and eating, but it must be done. I've read about people who swear by the amazing results from starting to consume bone broth and some even claim that their cartilage has regrown (that would be nice).

A bit of a curve ball is that the bones should come from an organic animal otherwise the antibiotics, pesticides and hormones are leeched into the broth! I haven't done this up to now, so I'm going to have to source organic chickens and meat. Interestingly studies have shown that 40% less protein is required in the diet if you consume bone broth as it is packed with so much good protein, so ideally you could reduce the costs of your meals overall, by consuming the broth from the bones of the meat you consume and having some meat-free days.

Here is a link from an inspirational lady named Alexx Stuart. She explains everything so well that I won't bother trying. Everything you ever needed to know about bone broth

I found that it is better to get a whole lot of bones together and make a huge pot full. It is also easier for me, as I'm starting out, to freeze in small containers, even ice trays because I'm not using that much at the moment, while I try to come up with meals to include it in.

Good luck if you're going to try it. Let me know if it helps :)


Below taken from Mercola


BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH

Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion: 
The gelatin found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid.
It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby supporting proper digestion.

Inhibits infection caused by cold and flu viruses, etc.: 
A study published over a decade ago found that chicken soup indeed has medicinal qualities, significantly mitigating infection.
Reduces joint pain and inflammation, courtesy of chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine, and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage.

Fights inflammation:
Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and arginine all have anti-inflammatory effects. Arginine, for example, has been found to be particularly beneficial for the treatment of sepsis (whole-body inflammation).
Glycine also has calming effects, which may help you sleep better.

Promotes strong, healthy bones: 
As mentioned above, bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients that play an important role in healthy bone formation.
Promotes healthy hair and nail growth, thanks to the gelatin in the broth

Planting Organic Veggies *groan*

There is nothing more organic than growing your own veggies (unless the seeds are genetically modified or you ply the crop or soil with chemicals!)  Hubby sent me a link [do you think he's trying to say something? you'll see what I mean later] which boldly tells us how easy it is to grow our own veggies in containers or in a garden with very little hassle. Hmmmm reading further down into the comments I find a lot of people are poo-pooing how easy it actually is, although to be fair, I don't really have a squirrel problem here!

12 fastest vegetables to grow in home gardens and containers for the first time

Ok the author has a point, it does look pretty easy and to be honest we have had some success before with tomatoes and herbs. So I'm going to "out" myself and show you what my herb garden looks like currently DON'T JUDGE ME!!! *shameful face* I'm sure that's why Hubby sent me the abovementioned link.

Exhibit A shows I have a beautiful lemon tree planted in the middle and on the left hand side are the remains of the wooden "trellis-type" poles which Hubby constructed when he planted tomatoes - we actually had a bumper crop that year.

Exhibit A

In Exhibit B you can see that I planted mint and lemon balm and the mint went crazy. I took the advice of a gardening friend, to plant mint in separate containers and then plant the containers in order to curb the root system taking over the entire herb garden, but the mint still took over! Maybe the trick is to use hanging containers so they can't spread. Some herbs, especially good-smelling ones look and smell great planted amongst your other plants BUT NOT MINT!! It will take over your whole garden!! As you can see, there is an upturned plastic container that has been living in my herb garden for a few weeks and when I turned it over, there was actually mint growing underneath it! I think mint is stronger than Chuck Norris!!

Exhbit B

In Exhibit C, the best results I'm getting seem to be OUTSIDE the herb garden! This basil plant is thriving on the gravel between the pavers! Shows how little attention you need to pay to growing basil! Although some really good advice about basil if you want to use it as a herb, is to remove the flowers because they seem to suck out all the good taste from the leaves! But obviously if you're growing it for the flowers (darn boring-looking flowers) then they smell awesome! Also a great tip with basil is to plant it close to where you've planted tomatoes because the tomatoes take on the taste of the basil! Just add mozzarella and you've got Caprese without the hassle!

Exhibit C

On the upside my lemon tree has grown well and although it has had some issues, it has borne great lemons for us to use and for the kids to play with and squeeze and make revolting homemade lemonade.

Exhibit D

So I am going to pledge to sort out this veggie garden once and for all! Pain and fatigue will not be an excuse, laziness will not be a factor, homegrown produce, healthy eating and fun will be the reason for my new challenge. "They" say that children eat veggies more often if they plant and harvest them themselves, so I will test out this theory. Now, what needs to be planted in Autumn for a bumper crop in Winter?  Hmmmm better get to work!

Anyone keen to start their own with me? Even in a container, I need some moral support! Now don't all shout at once ;)

The Natural Effect

A friend of mine posted a video on Facebook which really brings home my schizophrenic tendencies whereby I LOVE my career of marketing and the way in which marketing can make just about anyone believe anything if executed correctly, it is a major passion of mine! But on the other hand the ethical dilemma of how an unscrupulous marketeer can con an unsuspecting consumer into believing things that are just plain rubbish, does nag at me. I come from a highly regulated industry but the regulations within the food industry seem to be very loose, to say the least.

Labelling is often in the spotlight and although it is better than it has been in previous years, it infuriates me as a mom with a "special dietary needs" child that I have to scrutinise ingredient lists, to the point of having to be a dietitian, when I know that the manufacturers are hiding the common names of "bad" additives or genetic modifications or anti-biotics or hormones to con me into buying their "healthy" products.

This video is a humorous look at what "natural" really means on packaging.

Thanks to my friend KS for sharing this. *hug*

Click here to see The Natural Effect video