It was by chance, really! Here’s the whole story…
Have you heard of Dr. Daniel Amen? His name is becoming more popular and you may even have come across some of his information through social media. Ten years ago, the neither the mainstream (nor alternative) health community had really heard of him! As a special education teacher, I had heard him speak at a special education symposium. He talked about special needs learners and brain development. I purchased one of his books and ran home to tell my husband who this “brain doctor” was! Not too much later, my husband (whose field of expertise is addiction medicine), heard Dr. Amen speak at an addiction conference. Dr. Amen is a neuro-psychiatrist who uses functional SPECT scan imaging to diagnose brain issues. (My inner nerd LOVES learning about brain science!)
One day, my husband tells me, “You know that Dr. Amen? His wife was a trauma nurse and now designs nutritional plans for his brain patients. She wrote a book.” The words, “She wrote a book!” were music to my nerd-y ears! I wanted to know everything she had to say! At the time, we believed our son was struggling with ADHD and the fact that we may be able to help him with changes in nutrition was something I was immediately on board with. I immediately jumped on Amazon and grabbed her book, “The Omni Diet” by Tana Amen. She walks through the science behind gluten, sugar, dairy, corn, and soy and teaches what each of these foods does to our body and brain. The second half of the book is filled with recipes that became like a Bible to me!
HOW DID WE SUCCESSFULLY MAKE SUCH A MAJOR SHIFT IN OUR DIET?
Here’s what I DID NOT do:
- Cheese: I can’t eat that
- Pasta: I can’t eat that
- Corn: I can’t eat that
- Milk: I can’t drink that (not even in my coffee)
- Bread: I can’t eat that (no more sandwiches)
- OMG!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT!??
Here is what I DID do that made it work for us!
I meal planned before each grocery shopping trip. I chose a few recipes from “The Omni Diet” book. I put the ingredients on my shopping list. I started small….a couple new recipes each week…while we went through and finished the other pantry items I would no longer use. After all, I’m too frugal to do a clean sweep and THROW AWAY all of my bread, pasta, hamburger helper, etc. Each week, I chose a few more recipes. Some recipes called for ingredients I had never even heard of! (Have you ever actually used fenugreek? Lol!) I realized the recipes I was making were so delicious, that I didn’t miss spaghetti, tacos with flour tortillas and shredded cheese, or some of the other “staple” meals I had been used to. We were eating beef stroganoff, Asian Fusion salad, salmon burgers with a gluten free bun, hearty chicken soup, etc.
MY AHA! MOMENT….
A few months after shifting our nutrition and being free of the gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, and soy, I realized something. Prior to the nutrition shift, I had often experienced feeling like my immune system was fighting “something”. I often felt like I was fighting a virus with a low-grade fever and body aches. Since I don’t have a spleen (I lost it in my autoimmune disease battle), I was trained to be aware of fevers that could indicate infection. These fevers never turned into anything…they would go away and I was left to believe that I had “gotten over” whatever I was fighting. After the nutrition shift, the fevers and body aches STOPPED! I felt excellent and full of energy! The next time I ate gluten…fever and body aches! LIGHT BULB MOMENT!! The gluten actually causes systemic inflammation in me that results in a fever and flu-like symptoms!
It has been almost ten years since our family changed our eating habits. It has been beneficial for all of us in different ways. What about the dairy? After eliminating dairy, I stopped having unexplained stomach cramping and digestive discomfort (I'll spare you the bathroom details...lol!) I can have small amounts of dairy (a scoop of ice cream, a piece of cheese...) and be ok. But I can tell if I've had too much.
Last year, I found an anti-inflammatory protocol I have come to LOVE! It combines anti-inflammatory foods and a powerhouse supplement. I'd love to share some more information:
I'm so passionate about planning healthy meals for my family, I created an online Master class to help others: MEAL PLAN MASTER CLASS
If you're in need of some healthy gluten free recipes, I created an E-Book with some of my favorite simple meals: HEALTHY MADE EASY E-BOOK
*As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases*
Who doesn’t love a delicious mug of hot chocolate in the winter?
Did you know I am a self-identified chocoholic? Almost ten years ago, I changed my diet and cut out the majority of dairy and sugar. (There’s a long story for another time…LOL!) Of course, I feel WAY better. My immune system is stronger. But….what did I do about the hot chocolate dilemma? Those little packets you mix with water are full of sugar and chemicals.
After some searching, I found an excellent recipe! This has become my go-to for my family!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups Almond Milk
- 1 Cup Coconut Milk
- 3-4 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder
- ¼ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
DIRECTIONS:
Heat milk and maple syrup in a pan on the stove. Once hot add cocoa powder. Whisk to mix the cocoa powder into the milk. Add in the dark chocolate chips and whisk.
* Substitutions for personal preference…. Use any kind of non-dairy milk you prefer. I love vanilla unsweetened almond milk and canned coconut milk/cream for this recipe. You could substitute raw coconut sugar for maple syrup. Use your favorite kind of chocolate chips! (There are brands that offer dairy free and sugar free options.) I love Ghirardelli brand 60% dark chocolate chips. They do have a bit of dairy and sugar. You could omit the chocolate chips completely if you prefer.
* Take it to the Next Level …add your favorite extract or food-grade essential oil. Peppermint hot chocolate! Orange hot chocolate! So many delicious options!
ENJOY!
PS…I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Drop me a note or tag me in your social media post!
People used to make “New Year” resolutions. Now, it seems, that the word “resolutions” has developed a negative connotation. We’ve stopped deluding ourselves into believing that that diet or gym membership is going to get our attention after a few weeks. Research shows that it often takes only 32 days for the average person to break their resolutions; but 68% report giving up sooner than that! (Reported by the New York Post.)
I was recently chatting with client and I mentioned the upcoming new year. She almost freaked out a little when she *thought* I was asking her about a resolution! I had to clarify….”I mean…what are you looking forward to for the new year!?” I asked. We chatted about things we would like to do and places we would like to go in 2023. It feels much less daunting to talk about looking forward to things than to make the proverbial “resolutions” that will point a shameful finger at us in the mirror us when we break them.
I’ve always preferred to create *goals* for the new year. I recently listened to someone I find highly motivational. She had a format for making goals in various areas. She included: physical health goals, lifestyle goals, and spiritual goals. She suggested making 3 goals for each area. The 3 goals are sort of a “tiered” system. As a teacher, it reminded me of “scaffolding”….making incremental steps, in order to reach a higher goal.
PHYSICAL HEALTH – This isn’t just a weight loss goal! How do you want your physical health to be different (improved) one year from now? Do you have an area of struggle regarding your health that you would like to take steps to improve? Pain management? Exercise? More energy? Reducing inflammation? Healthier eating habits? (Hmmm….could that be a lifestyle goal…?? Some seem to cross over into other categories! LOL!)
LIFESTYLE – What would you like your lifestyle to look like one year from now? Would you like a different job? Would you like to homeschool your children? Are you in need of freedom in an area of your life? Financial freedom? Time freedom? Slowing down your pace of life? This may look like clearing physical clutter…or clearing scheduling clutter (tasks that need to be taken off of our “to-do” list!)
SPIRITUAL – What would you like your spiritual life to look like one year from now? Do you desire growing closer to The Lord? Would you like to read your Bible more…or pray more…but haven’t decided how to carve out the time? Is it on your heart to serve your community in a new way? Start a Bible Study? Lead a ministry group? Start a non-profit? (Don’t be afraid to think BIG…we’ll get to that in a moment!)
The first step in each area is to create a “REALISTIC” goal. A realistic goal is something we know we can attain if we put our time and our focus into it. It is the kind of thing we know “how” to do….we just aren’t doing it.
The second step is to create a “STRETCH” goal. This is approximately 10% bigger than your realistic goal. It requires you to *reach* a little further! It may seem a little out of your comfort zone. It may seem a little scary.
The third step is to create a “DIVINE INTERVENTION REQUIRED” goal. This is a goal that may seem like pipe dream. It is a desire of your heart…but you have NO IDEA how it is going to happen. It is going to require GOD to step in and step up. That’s ok….in fact…it is awesome! Go ahead and talk to God about it!
I’m still working on my goals. My physical health goals include continuing to train in martial arts…this has been a struggle for me since my Sifu passed away in 2014. This actually dovetails with my lifestyle goal. Having the time to dedicate to Kung Fu requires an amount of time freedom in my schedule. My spiritual goals include continuing to study the Bible and teach from books I haven’t taught before. My goals are a work in progress…but you have a glimpse into what I’m looking forward to for 2023!
I’m such a visual learner, I have created a 1 page guide for using this goal setting framework!
Hi there.
I’m Nina. Welcome to my brand new blog! I’m so excited you’re here! This will be a place where we can connect and do life together! I’m an open book…I love to share how I live life post-autoimmune disease. Yup…I’m an autoimmune survivor. In 2003, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition. Long story short, western medicine failed me and I turned to alternative treatments. It was a long road to remission, but I haven’t had an autoimmune episode in 16 years!
Four years ago, my husband and I took a huge leap of faith and moved from the city to the country. We left the hustle and bustle of Southern California for the peace of the Pacific Northwest. We left our traditional jobs and started a ministry. Life has certainly been VERY different! We work from home in the most beautiful corner of the world. Rather than sitting in gridlock traffic daily and longing for trips to the beach, I have time to garden, hike, bake bread, and help others learn about how to support their health naturally.
I do many things to support my health in order to stay in remission! I believe simplifying my life and reducing stress has been helpful for my immune system. Stress takes a toll on our overall wellness…I believe a toxic level of stress was the original trigger for my autoimmune disease.
I’m a realist…you might not be able to sell everything you own and move next door to cows and chickens…lol! It’s ok if you don’t even want to! Reducing stress and simplifying life can look like many different things.
* It can look like saying, “No" to new commitments when your schedule is full.
* It can look like reveling in simple pleasures like a quiet cup of tea or a delicious cup of coffee.
* It can look like taking a bit of time for yourself to do something you enjoy…a walk…a yoga class…read a chapter out of your favorite book.
* It can look like clearing clutter from your home to simplify your environment.
* It can look like starting the day with prayer and spending time in God's Word.
Being intentional about reducing stress can be difficult at first. The more we do it, the better we get at it...kind of like exercising a muscle. But it is critical to our heath! The stress hormone, cortisol, actually weakens our immune system when it stays heightened for long periods of time. Reducing stress actually strengthens our immune system!
What are some measures you take to simplify your life?
Want to learn some more ways to support your immune system naturally? I have a free guide for you!
Click the link and I'll send it right over!
