Day 5
Just a quick update...
Little Man is still coughing. He woke up last night at 4 or so saying he couldn't stop coughing. We rubbed the frankincense, rosemary and eucalyptus blend on his chest (after applying a layer of coconut oil), behind his ears, wrists and feet. Then I tucked him into bed. He coughed a few more times, but that was it. I love that I didn't have to give him medicine! You know that struggle...you want him to stop coughing, but know he'll be exhausted when he has to get up and go to school? I am loving these oils!
Dear Lord, I am so thankful that these oils are working. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! I pray they will continue to work, and that Little Man will be totally better soon. In Jesus Name I pray– Amen
Part I Part II
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Double Challenge - Essential Oils vs. Head Cold Part II
If you want to read part one, click here. :) Another disclaimer...I am not an expert on anything, but a mom and helpmeet doing what she thinks is good for her family.
Little Man stayed home from school Friday. Good thing too, as he had a 100 degree temp by late afternoon. We applied essential oils (see part one) all day, he took two epsom salt baths and basically laid around all day long. He never needed anything for the temp, but did take two short naps.
Day Two Feeling better! Energy is back, no temp. Cough is setting in, lots of congestion. Time to add new oils to our regimen. Little Man has had success in the past with a mixture of Frankincense, Rosemary and Eucalyptus (equal parts mixed together) when he has a cough. Last year, he had a cough that would just not go away, and Hubby was ready to take him to Urgent Care for antibiotics. We used these oils for one or two nights, and it was gone. So, we rubbed this mixture on his feet, wrists and behind his ears throughout the day. We also rubbed it on his chest and then applied a warm washcloth one time. The On Gaurd oils were also used.
Day Three Much better! Cough sounds like a tickle, and isn't bad at all. Nose is VERY runny, but I'll take that over congestion. Gave him benedryl at night to dry it all up. He slept all night. We kept alternating the oils throughout the day.
Day Four Little Man is back at school. We rubbed the oils on his feet before he left, and we'll do it again when we get home. He will be at football practice this evening. Sweet victory appears to be ours. :)
Dear Lord, I thank You for these natural wonders. I pray for wisdom as we use them in our lives. Thank You for always watching over us. In Jesus name I pray--Amen
Little Man stayed home from school Friday. Good thing too, as he had a 100 degree temp by late afternoon. We applied essential oils (see part one) all day, he took two epsom salt baths and basically laid around all day long. He never needed anything for the temp, but did take two short naps.
Day Two Feeling better! Energy is back, no temp. Cough is setting in, lots of congestion. Time to add new oils to our regimen. Little Man has had success in the past with a mixture of Frankincense, Rosemary and Eucalyptus (equal parts mixed together) when he has a cough. Last year, he had a cough that would just not go away, and Hubby was ready to take him to Urgent Care for antibiotics. We used these oils for one or two nights, and it was gone. So, we rubbed this mixture on his feet, wrists and behind his ears throughout the day. We also rubbed it on his chest and then applied a warm washcloth one time. The On Gaurd oils were also used.
Day Three Much better! Cough sounds like a tickle, and isn't bad at all. Nose is VERY runny, but I'll take that over congestion. Gave him benedryl at night to dry it all up. He slept all night. We kept alternating the oils throughout the day.
Day Four Little Man is back at school. We rubbed the oils on his feet before he left, and we'll do it again when we get home. He will be at football practice this evening. Sweet victory appears to be ours. :)
Dear Lord, I thank You for these natural wonders. I pray for wisdom as we use them in our lives. Thank You for always watching over us. In Jesus name I pray--Amen
Friday, August 1, 2014
Double Challenge
**DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert, just a Mom and Helpmeet. Here is a great site that I go to for expert help: everythingessential.me.
My little man is home sick today. Yesterday he was complaining of a sore throat, and was obviously congested. Add to that an hour of football practice in the rain followed by an hour of football practice in the cold. This morning he awakes miserable and tired. This all leads to a challenging conversation with Hubby. Challenging because we do not see eye to eye. I could say annoying instead of challenging, but when I think of it, he is probably annoyed with me as well.
Hubby's point of view is this (as I see it): Little Man is sick. Little Man is in football. Little Man needs to miss as few practices as possible so he can play in the game. Get Little Man to Urgent Care for antibiotics.
My reaction tends to be: Are you kidding?!
This of course gets me nowhere good. So I choose to not say that out loud. :) I agree about not missing practices. I disagree about antibiotics. It is my view that antibiotics are way over used, and we are headed down a dangerous road toward super-bugs and drug-resistant bacteria. Our bodies are stronger than people think. We just want immediate results, and hate to be sick.
So, I have a challenge before me. A couple actually. 1. Don't be a jerk to my Hubby just because he has a different point of view. 2. Be very diligent in my care of Little Man so he will get better quickly!
So, here is the plan:
1. Lots of liquids!
2. Two Epsom salt baths combined with essential oils.
3. Essential Oil application all day long.
4. REST.
Last year we started using essential oils, and discovered that they work. Today I will be using a blend based on doterra's On Guard product. You can buy doterra oils on Amazon, or you can sign up with their company and order every month. I don't buy doterra oils because we just can't afford them. I buy other oils from Amazon because they are less expensive, but are still 100% essential oils with no fillers. I figure I need to honor God by staying within my budget. I trust that He will take care of us with the resources He's given us. I have bought the ingredients for this blend and just combined them to make my own.
Anyway, I am rubbing this blend (orange oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil) on Little Man's feet, wrists and behind his ears pretty much any time I think of it. I want to get a good dose into his system. I will also rub his back several times today using the doterra Aroma Touch technique. This link will take you to a short video showing you how to do this. There are many other videos explaining the hows and whys.
This conversation with Hubby and the looming football practices and games are actually helping me to step up my game as we attack this cold so I guess I shouldn't be irritated by it. Instead I welcome the challenge. Hopefully I will be writing a victory post soon!
Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom an guidance as I attempt to nurse Little Man back to health. I pray for grace and respect as I interact with my husband. Please bring us to the same page in our thinking. May we kick this sickness without the need for doctors and antibiotics. In Jesus Name I pray-Amen
My little man is home sick today. Yesterday he was complaining of a sore throat, and was obviously congested. Add to that an hour of football practice in the rain followed by an hour of football practice in the cold. This morning he awakes miserable and tired. This all leads to a challenging conversation with Hubby. Challenging because we do not see eye to eye. I could say annoying instead of challenging, but when I think of it, he is probably annoyed with me as well.
Hubby's point of view is this (as I see it): Little Man is sick. Little Man is in football. Little Man needs to miss as few practices as possible so he can play in the game. Get Little Man to Urgent Care for antibiotics.
My reaction tends to be: Are you kidding?!
This of course gets me nowhere good. So I choose to not say that out loud. :) I agree about not missing practices. I disagree about antibiotics. It is my view that antibiotics are way over used, and we are headed down a dangerous road toward super-bugs and drug-resistant bacteria. Our bodies are stronger than people think. We just want immediate results, and hate to be sick.
So, I have a challenge before me. A couple actually. 1. Don't be a jerk to my Hubby just because he has a different point of view. 2. Be very diligent in my care of Little Man so he will get better quickly!
So, here is the plan:
1. Lots of liquids!
2. Two Epsom salt baths combined with essential oils.
3. Essential Oil application all day long.
4. REST.
Last year we started using essential oils, and discovered that they work. Today I will be using a blend based on doterra's On Guard product. You can buy doterra oils on Amazon, or you can sign up with their company and order every month. I don't buy doterra oils because we just can't afford them. I buy other oils from Amazon because they are less expensive, but are still 100% essential oils with no fillers. I figure I need to honor God by staying within my budget. I trust that He will take care of us with the resources He's given us. I have bought the ingredients for this blend and just combined them to make my own.
Anyway, I am rubbing this blend (orange oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil) on Little Man's feet, wrists and behind his ears pretty much any time I think of it. I want to get a good dose into his system. I will also rub his back several times today using the doterra Aroma Touch technique. This link will take you to a short video showing you how to do this. There are many other videos explaining the hows and whys.
This conversation with Hubby and the looming football practices and games are actually helping me to step up my game as we attack this cold so I guess I shouldn't be irritated by it. Instead I welcome the challenge. Hopefully I will be writing a victory post soon!
Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom an guidance as I attempt to nurse Little Man back to health. I pray for grace and respect as I interact with my husband. Please bring us to the same page in our thinking. May we kick this sickness without the need for doctors and antibiotics. In Jesus Name I pray-Amen
Friday, July 25, 2014
Gluten Free Week 2 Plan and Results
Week Two, here we go! Result are in italics.
Breakfast:
Same as Week 1
Lunch:
Same as Week 1
Dinner:
Sunday: Grill up lots of chicken. :) Freeze for week. Veggie packs on grill. Gluten Free Mac and Cheese - Annie's - from Walmart. The Mac and Cheese was good, but $2.56 a box. We ate two boxes!
Monday: Green Spaghetti using leftover grilled chicken. Broccoli, salad-caesar?, fruit
*Cook gluten-free spaghetti and drain. Combine one small jar pesto sauce and one small container of shredded parmesan cheese in pot and stir until combined. Add spaghetti and chicken a little bit at a time and mix to coat. Put lid on pan until ready to serve-the chicken will heat up in the pot. We love this! It is a definite favorite in our house. No one noticed the change in pasta.
Tuesday: Taco lettuce wraps, refrieds, Spanish rice, ?
*Cook up a double batch of ground beef. Add taco seasoning to some and set aside the rest. Set up a buffet type taco bar: olives, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, etc. Don't forget the lettuce to wrap it up in! And, probably, corn chips. Oops! I defrosted shredded beef on accident. No worries, just cooked up shredded beef "enchiladas" instead. Layer corn tortillas, beef, cheese, sauce, repeat. Cook until bubbly.
Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry using leftover grilled chicken and Teriyaki sauce. Snap peas, water chestnuts, and whatever else you like. Serve with rice and broccoli. Yummy
Thursday: Indian style ground beef This was good. I was surprised...I didn't think I would like the spices, but this will be a keeper. Similar to Asian Ground Beef Stir Fry, but different seasonings. Added fresh cucumber from the garden. Served with rice.
Friday: Hubby is grilling London broil. He's cutting it thin, and making enough for weekend lunches. Salad, veggies, fruit Contemplating more mac and cheese. :)
Snacks:
Peanut butter balls I forgot how good these are. I only had time for a single batch, but will likely make a double batch as soon as they are gone. Kids have been eating them for breakfast along with a banana. Peanut butter, oats, raw honey, better than your average cereal!
Z bars (made by Cliff bars)
Lots of fruit and veggies
nachos (with real cheese of course!)
So far, so good. We've found a lot of snacks/chips that we like. The real test will come tomorrow if we go out of town. Will we pack our food or attempt to eat out? It takes two weeks for the gluten to get out of your system, I would hate to mess that up when we are so close! My daughter started taking fiber as her body was noticing the difference. I hope we make it through the weekend. I would hate for this to be in vain!
Dear Lord, Please give us the strength to keep going. May it be abundantly clear if this is how we should be eating or if gluten doesn't affect us. We desire to be healthy and ready to do your work! In Jesus Name-Amen
Breakfast:
Same as Week 1
Lunch:
Same as Week 1
Dinner:
Sunday: Grill up lots of chicken. :) Freeze for week. Veggie packs on grill. Gluten Free Mac and Cheese - Annie's - from Walmart. The Mac and Cheese was good, but $2.56 a box. We ate two boxes!
Monday: Green Spaghetti using leftover grilled chicken. Broccoli, salad-caesar?, fruit
*Cook gluten-free spaghetti and drain. Combine one small jar pesto sauce and one small container of shredded parmesan cheese in pot and stir until combined. Add spaghetti and chicken a little bit at a time and mix to coat. Put lid on pan until ready to serve-the chicken will heat up in the pot. We love this! It is a definite favorite in our house. No one noticed the change in pasta.
Tuesday: Taco lettuce wraps, refrieds, Spanish rice, ?
*Cook up a double batch of ground beef. Add taco seasoning to some and set aside the rest. Set up a buffet type taco bar: olives, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, etc. Don't forget the lettuce to wrap it up in! And, probably, corn chips. Oops! I defrosted shredded beef on accident. No worries, just cooked up shredded beef "enchiladas" instead. Layer corn tortillas, beef, cheese, sauce, repeat. Cook until bubbly.
Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry using leftover grilled chicken and Teriyaki sauce. Snap peas, water chestnuts, and whatever else you like. Serve with rice and broccoli. Yummy
Thursday: Indian style ground beef This was good. I was surprised...I didn't think I would like the spices, but this will be a keeper. Similar to Asian Ground Beef Stir Fry, but different seasonings. Added fresh cucumber from the garden. Served with rice.
Friday: Hubby is grilling London broil. He's cutting it thin, and making enough for weekend lunches. Salad, veggies, fruit Contemplating more mac and cheese. :)
Snacks:
Peanut butter balls I forgot how good these are. I only had time for a single batch, but will likely make a double batch as soon as they are gone. Kids have been eating them for breakfast along with a banana. Peanut butter, oats, raw honey, better than your average cereal!
Z bars (made by Cliff bars)
Lots of fruit and veggies
nachos (with real cheese of course!)
So far, so good. We've found a lot of snacks/chips that we like. The real test will come tomorrow if we go out of town. Will we pack our food or attempt to eat out? It takes two weeks for the gluten to get out of your system, I would hate to mess that up when we are so close! My daughter started taking fiber as her body was noticing the difference. I hope we make it through the weekend. I would hate for this to be in vain!
Dear Lord, Please give us the strength to keep going. May it be abundantly clear if this is how we should be eating or if gluten doesn't affect us. We desire to be healthy and ready to do your work! In Jesus Name-Amen
Friday, July 18, 2014
Gluten-Free Week 1 Plan and Results
The time has come: Gluten free for four weeks! The biggest challenge for us will be snacks. No crackers or tortillas? What? Luckily, I have recipes ready to go, I just haven't made them in a while. Here's the plan: Results are in italics.
Breakfast
Crazy Cake - Yes, you can eat this for breakfast!!
Eggs and melted cheese + fruit or veggies This was a hit with Sweet Son. Daughter still won't try it. She's been eating Zbars and fruit. We'll have to work on this next week.
Lunch
Leftovers! We've been eating everything with taco chips. Another thing we'll have to work on next week.
Salad with leftover chicken, tuna or canned salmon - Me
Fruit and Veggies
Dinner
Monday: Lasagna type pasta (gluten-free of course) I may just eat this without the pasta.
Broccoli or Garlic Green Beans, salad, fruit Side note: I don't do much measuring when I cook. I try to make things as brainless as possible but still have it taste good. First I mixed a small tub of Ricotta cheese with a quart sized bag of shredded mozzarella. Then I layered gluten free penne pasta (Barilla brand which I bought at Walmart), cheese mixture, ground beef, and spaghetti sauce in a glass bowl until full and put the lid on. Popped it in the small electric "toaster" oven we have on the counter until melted and bubbly. Hubby really liked this. He brought it for lunch all week.
*Cook up extra ground beef for Wednesday!
*Cook Crockpot Quinoa in crockpot for Tuesday.
Tuesday: Southwestern Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
*Cook chicken in the crockpot. Shred and add celery, onion?, mayo and taco seasoning to
taste. Serve avocado, salsa, etc. on the side. Cook extra chicken and freeze it for later!
I ended up using leftover chicken I found in the freezer. I cut it up into small pieces with my chicken scissors. Forgot about the lettuce, ate with corn chips. This is a keeper.
*Quinoa mixed with something to make it Southwestern-onions, cilantro, cumin, garlic?
How about green chilies? This is not a keeper. Turns out everyone refuses to eat quinoa, including Hubby. Good thing I have chickens to feed it to. The crockpot did cook up the quinoa nicely, though.
*Veggies and Fruit
Wed: Asian Ground Beef Stir Fry
*Use ground beef from Monday. Sautee onions, green pepper and garlic. Add meat, teriyaki sauce, woreceshire, red pepper flakes, water chestnuts and whatever else you like. Just found out soy sauce and teriyaki can contain gluten! Must look into this and re-read my labels. This was a hit with Hubby and Son.
*Asian salad?, veggie, fruit, quinoa No quinoa for my family! Served with rice.
Thursday: Summer Chicken "Burgers"
*Grill or bake chicken breasts to your liking. Serve with melted provolone, green chilies,
sautéed onions, avocado Ended up crock-potting two large packages of chicken. Used water and lemon juice, cooked on high 4 hours. I have a ton left over! Yeah! Using the same baking bowl from Monday, layered shredded chicken, sliced provolone and green chilies. Baked in small oven until melted. Hubby said this was a keeper. Daughter, who ate just plain chicken, said it was really good. Victory!
*Salad, Green beans or broccoli, refrieds, corn chips
*Fruit and Veggies
Friday: Shredded Beef Tacos (crockpot), refrieds, Spanish rice? Make extra for weekend lunches. Cook in crockpot with water, garlic and salt. Have green chilies on hand at dinner time for Hubby.
Sat and Sunday: BBQ, salad, veg, fruit Sunday, grill extra meat for use in meals next week!!!
Snacks:
Almond Bars This wasn't a big hit this go-round. Son said it needed chocolate chips. I agree. Everything is better with chocolate chips!
Lots of fruit and veggies! We had a ton of these on hand.
Frozen grape kabobs. Slide grapes onto BBQ skewers, put in a freezer zip lock bag and keep in the freezer. The kids love these!
So far, so good. The kids are the ones really missing bread, crackers, etc. Especially when we walk past the Subway inside Walmart. It smells so delicious! Planning meals ahead of time is such a blessing and something I haven't done in a long time!
Breakfast
Crazy Cake - Yes, you can eat this for breakfast!!
Eggs and melted cheese + fruit or veggies This was a hit with Sweet Son. Daughter still won't try it. She's been eating Zbars and fruit. We'll have to work on this next week.
Lunch
Leftovers! We've been eating everything with taco chips. Another thing we'll have to work on next week.
Salad with leftover chicken, tuna or canned salmon - Me
Fruit and Veggies
Dinner
Monday: Lasagna type pasta (gluten-free of course) I may just eat this without the pasta.
Broccoli or Garlic Green Beans, salad, fruit Side note: I don't do much measuring when I cook. I try to make things as brainless as possible but still have it taste good. First I mixed a small tub of Ricotta cheese with a quart sized bag of shredded mozzarella. Then I layered gluten free penne pasta (Barilla brand which I bought at Walmart), cheese mixture, ground beef, and spaghetti sauce in a glass bowl until full and put the lid on. Popped it in the small electric "toaster" oven we have on the counter until melted and bubbly. Hubby really liked this. He brought it for lunch all week.
*Cook up extra ground beef for Wednesday!
*Cook Crockpot Quinoa in crockpot for Tuesday.
Tuesday: Southwestern Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
*Cook chicken in the crockpot. Shred and add celery, onion?, mayo and taco seasoning to
taste. Serve avocado, salsa, etc. on the side. Cook extra chicken and freeze it for later!
I ended up using leftover chicken I found in the freezer. I cut it up into small pieces with my chicken scissors. Forgot about the lettuce, ate with corn chips. This is a keeper.
*Quinoa mixed with something to make it Southwestern-onions, cilantro, cumin, garlic?
How about green chilies? This is not a keeper. Turns out everyone refuses to eat quinoa, including Hubby. Good thing I have chickens to feed it to. The crockpot did cook up the quinoa nicely, though.
*Veggies and Fruit
Wed: Asian Ground Beef Stir Fry
*Use ground beef from Monday. Sautee onions, green pepper and garlic. Add meat, teriyaki sauce, woreceshire, red pepper flakes, water chestnuts and whatever else you like. Just found out soy sauce and teriyaki can contain gluten! Must look into this and re-read my labels. This was a hit with Hubby and Son.
*Asian salad?, veggie, fruit, quinoa No quinoa for my family! Served with rice.
Thursday: Summer Chicken "Burgers"
*Grill or bake chicken breasts to your liking. Serve with melted provolone, green chilies,
sautéed onions, avocado Ended up crock-potting two large packages of chicken. Used water and lemon juice, cooked on high 4 hours. I have a ton left over! Yeah! Using the same baking bowl from Monday, layered shredded chicken, sliced provolone and green chilies. Baked in small oven until melted. Hubby said this was a keeper. Daughter, who ate just plain chicken, said it was really good. Victory!
*Salad, Green beans or broccoli, refrieds, corn chips
*Fruit and Veggies
Friday: Shredded Beef Tacos (crockpot), refrieds, Spanish rice? Make extra for weekend lunches. Cook in crockpot with water, garlic and salt. Have green chilies on hand at dinner time for Hubby.
Sat and Sunday: BBQ, salad, veg, fruit Sunday, grill extra meat for use in meals next week!!!
Snacks:
Almond Bars This wasn't a big hit this go-round. Son said it needed chocolate chips. I agree. Everything is better with chocolate chips!
Lots of fruit and veggies! We had a ton of these on hand.
Frozen grape kabobs. Slide grapes onto BBQ skewers, put in a freezer zip lock bag and keep in the freezer. The kids love these!
So far, so good. The kids are the ones really missing bread, crackers, etc. Especially when we walk past the Subway inside Walmart. It smells so delicious! Planning meals ahead of time is such a blessing and something I haven't done in a long time!
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Gluten Free Day 0
We have been going through quite a lot the past few weeks...literally. We have gone through our house de-cluttering, and today I went through my recipe binder preparing for the upcoming four weeks. This next month, we will be going through an experiment...gluten-free eating. The purpose of this is to stop wondering if it would help our health. Hubby and I have digestive issues, Daughter has skin issues, and Son gets to go along for the ride - much to his dismay. :) He has skin issues as well, but gluten was ruled out as the culprit when he was little. His skin is just sensitive to external irritants like chlorine.
My sister-in-law has recently gone the way of a gluten-free diet. She had digestive issues and skin issues that have cleared up to the point that she claims she will not eat gluten again. She feels too good to go back. Honestly, I don't know if I want this to be the case for us or not. I like bread, but I also would love to feel good on a regular basis. It would be great to figure out this mystery on the first try.
According to my sister-in-law, gluten stays in your system for two weeks. Therefore, the one month trial. If gluten is a problem, we should be feeling better by Week 3. There have been blessings already...I am planning ahead and have finally gone through my recipes. This has been on my to do list for weeks. Maybe months. I haven't planned a weeks worth of meals in months. How embarrassing! If I don't plan, life is just a crap shoot. Planning keeps me on my toes, even if I don't completely follow the plan. Hopefully, I will post plans and recipes on this site. No promises, you never know what life will bring.
Dear Lord-
I give this month to You. Please make us strong and I ask that we not mess up. We don't want to add any unnecessary extra time to discovering if gluten is the culprit in our health issues. I pray for clarity and wisdom. In Jesus Name--Amen
My sister-in-law has recently gone the way of a gluten-free diet. She had digestive issues and skin issues that have cleared up to the point that she claims she will not eat gluten again. She feels too good to go back. Honestly, I don't know if I want this to be the case for us or not. I like bread, but I also would love to feel good on a regular basis. It would be great to figure out this mystery on the first try.
According to my sister-in-law, gluten stays in your system for two weeks. Therefore, the one month trial. If gluten is a problem, we should be feeling better by Week 3. There have been blessings already...I am planning ahead and have finally gone through my recipes. This has been on my to do list for weeks. Maybe months. I haven't planned a weeks worth of meals in months. How embarrassing! If I don't plan, life is just a crap shoot. Planning keeps me on my toes, even if I don't completely follow the plan. Hopefully, I will post plans and recipes on this site. No promises, you never know what life will bring.
Dear Lord-
I give this month to You. Please make us strong and I ask that we not mess up. We don't want to add any unnecessary extra time to discovering if gluten is the culprit in our health issues. I pray for clarity and wisdom. In Jesus Name--Amen
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