Category Archives: Health/ Nutrition

October 4, 2012 · 05:25

Diagnosis: Nuts

Picasso,  Science and Charity, 1897.

One note… this was Picasso’s painting when he was 16 years old. And before I go on with the subject at hand (which is why I chose the above painting in the first place),  this next painting was when he was 15 years old.  He had nowhere else to go but …well…Picasso.

Picasso, First Communion, 1895

I was diagnosed with an ailment last week that has me a bit concerned.  It actually is a disorder, that if not treated it will continue to get worse and ultimately attack my total health, both mentally and physically,  they said.  The doctors  prescribed several different medicines that will make me healthy again.  The thing is, I don’t like, or I haven’t heard wonderful things about these particular meds.   But I did find a medicine that I think I like better.  It doesn’t do the things the ones prescribed do but I think if I take the ones I like, I will get along.    I called the dr. and told him that I found ones that I liked better.   He said ,  under any circumstances, they would not work.   I don’t buy it.   So, I think I’ll stick with my own treatment.

You are probably thinking at this point – “has she totally fallen off her tractor!”

I really wasn’t diagnosed with anything last week.   But wouldn’t you think I was bonkerly crazy if I had said that and meant it?

Ok….Let me reword the above statement.

I was diagnosed with an ailment last week that has me a bit concerned (anything chronic).  It actually is a disorder, that if not treated it will continue to get worse and ultimately attack my total health, both mentally and physically,  they said.  The doctors  prescribed the  foods that will make me healthy again.  The thing is, I don’t like, or I haven’t heard wonderful things about these foods (fresh veggies, protein, fruit and whole grains) that are good for me.  They are boring and don’t taste yummy.   But I DID find foods  that I think I like better (sugar, processed foods, colas).  My food wont  heal me like the ones prescribed will,  but I think if I take the ones I like, I will get along.    I called the dr. and told him that I found foods that I like better.  He said those,  under any circumstances,  they would not work.   I don’t buy it.    So, I think I’ll stick with my own treatment.  Which is called (for lack of a more effective word)  poison.

The cycle of chronic illness continues to go ’round and ’round.

Really?  Do we really sound and act that nuts?   It is our health for goodness sake.  It is our mind.  It is our body.  Let me take this one step further….It is our ONE mind.  It is our ONE body.

NUTS

I think we all have these nutty marbles rollin’ around in our heads.  Don’t you?

Can we, maybe,  try to think of our food as the medicine needed to stay far, far away from chemical manufactured medicine?   SOOOOOOOOOOOO many illnesses can be relieved and avoided if we would only take the best “medicine”.    Try thinking about it from another perspective and see if it has an impact.   It is hard,  HARD.  But with practice,  it can have huge benefits.

I seriously pray  that God will give me the wisdom to know better and give me the strength to resist temptation and give me the patience to do what it takes to eat properly.  For my health and those that are dear to me.

I hope that you don’t think this preachy….I am as guilty as the next guy.   It just is really serious business.  And I am really  concerned about my own health, my children’s and their children’s.  Our food, and therefore,  our health,  is in dire jeopardy.

God bless,

Karen

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October 1, 2012 · 21:53

Food. Good.

Who doesn’t love food?  Boy, oh, Boy.   There are  a lot of things I can’t or shouldn’t eat.  I stay true to those “rules” most of the time.  When you can’t eat the easy stuff, the convenient stuff, you figure out ways to make the wholesome stuff taste good.   As I have said in the past, my cooking is very simple, using few ingredients since most ingredients do not work for my health.

Whole foods.  The name of the game.   Pops and I wonder sometimes why we bother going out.  Our food here is always better than even the finest diners.  Why?  Fresh.  Local.  Homegrown.  Organic.  Simple.  Unprocessed.  REAL FOOD.    I do miss bread though.  A lot.  I am bankin’ on sourdough bread next to my bed when I am in heaven.  You watch.   With butter.

What makes fine restaurants so good?  They keep their recipes simple, fresh, and high quality ingredients.

Tonight we had scrumptuous munchuous.  Man, it  was good.   And simple as it gets.  HEALTHY.

PORK TENDERLOIN

Sprinkle tenderloin with fresh basil, coarse sea salt,  minced garlic.  put several slices of bacon over top and drizzle with olive oil.  Pop in oven 375 degrees for an hour.  Done. Perfect.  Delectable.

Remember……where the pork and bacon comes from makes HUGE difference in flavor AND health.

GREEN BEANS
Sautee in generous amount of Ghee (clarified butter) fresh green beans, chopped sweet red pepper, onion.  I don’t boil or steam beans first.  Done.  Perfect.  Delectable.

NOW……for a secret yummy…..

Since sugar…and dairy…and gluten…and, and, and,…. are no nos, I am continually experimenting to get a dessert acceptable for us (me).  Try to make a dessert without the above ingredients.  Impossible, right?  Darn near.  Well,  yes, it is impossible.   But we can make significant improvements on the status quo.  So, usually I end up making a fruit thing.  A crisp, or cobbler.  But fruit being the base.  I use the minimum sugar (organic coconut palm unrefined sugar) that I can get away with.  About 1/3 -1/2 cup for a 9 x 13 pan. of whatever I am making.     We top with ice cream (coconut milk based for me and ice cream with the least amount of ingredients for others).  And then,  a bit of home-made caramel sauce  drizzled on top.  THAT is the secret yummy.  Oh my goodness.

The best flavor IN THIS WORLD.

I make it with the whole she-bang.  But I use the better ingredients.  Every little bit helps.

EASY CARAMEL SAUCE

1 C.  organic coconut palm sugar

1/2 C.   organic heavy whipping cream

4 T organic butter

Pinch of sea salt

1 t. vanilla

Heat on med low heat the first three ingredients.  Whisking continuously until all is melted and thickening.  5-7 minutes.  Make sure granules are dissolved.   Add salt and vanilla stir and put in jar.

We wait for weekend night to enjoy our very special  yummy treat.  Since the sugar thing has to be few a far between for me, dessert is very special and we like to make that a part of a wonderful night home on the weekend.

Enjoy!

On a different note…I was driving home one night last week at dusk and a fog came rolling in that was wild.  It was deep blue.  Like an ice fog or somethin’ .   That is what it looked like to me.  It was warm out but it look like an ice fog sheet.  I know that doesn’t make sense.  But I took a picture with my phone and the contrast of the fog and my headlights was very cool.

By the way, I did not manipulate this photo.  The contrast was really quite something.

This was with headlights off:

I find great joy in the atmosphere.  Dont you?

You have yerself a great Tuesday.

God bless,

Karen

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September 17, 2012 · 19:17

This and That… And Other Tails.

Meet This and That, and Obie.

At the beginning of the month I followed my son  6 hours to college.  He couldn’t fit everything in his car.  Bless his little soul.   I love going to his school.  Small liberal arts college that has a wonderful, small, quiet atmosphere.  With artistic creativity oozing from its fiber.  My cup of tea.    Anytime, son.

We visited an art gallery where the owner keeps abandoned kitty’s in the back room.  I could think of worse things hangin’ in the back room.  I brought 3 home.  For the barn.  We need them as cold weather looms.  Mice.    Obie (Short for the school’s name,  Oberlin) came to live with us.  She is a scaredy cat.  Hides every time she sees you. Scared of her own shadow.  We have never had an animal like that.  You’re goin’ to have to get a life, little Obie.  You’ll get run out on a rail around here with that complex.

Little scaredy cat, Obie

And we have This and That.  They are identical black twins.  Can not tell them apart. They are as affectionate as Obie is not.   They are settling in and we love having them join the team.

This and That

Other great,  great news.  Our oldest son is getting married.  No, I am not old enough to have a son that old.  Pulease.  We are just trusting that he can handle the responsibility.   Just kidding.  He is old enough.  I am just not old enough.   His love is wonderful and I could not have picked one better for him.  We love her and look forward to a life with little Eric and Emily’s running around.   They have chosen to have the reception here at our farm.  When we bought this property I thought a wedding would be yummy here but having three boys never thought I would have the opportunity.   But yeah.  We get to do it.   We need to get busy……..

This couldn’t be our little Emily and Eric.  They haven’t matrimonied yet.   I borrowed from internet. Shhh.

Lastly, I read in a magazine for locals near Indianapolis…..I could not believe my eyes.. They were advertizing best restaurants for their burger toppers and one of them was Fermenti Artisan’s at the City Market.  IT IS A DELI THAT SPECIALIZES IN FERMENTED FOODS.    First ever I have seen this.  People are catching on, folks,  and if you want health in a jar, fermented foods is a must.   I cannot urge you enough.  If you aren’t from this area, please look in your health stores.  And just give it a try.  Please?

God bless,

Karen

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September 14, 2012 · 18:15

Fermentation Is The Key To Paradise

Good Morning!

I lay flat on my back with a torn disc. Very minor compared to past experiences.  I really need to leave the heavy lifting around here to someone else.   I have lots of time this morning to leisure in my thoughts.

I think I’ll go to a place that will (prayerfully) be of interest to you.  Eeek.

When my body was ailing from all the toxins from sugars and antibiotics and processed foods, the first thing my doctor taught me was to get a leg up on fermented foods.  What in the world.  Fermented foods were a popular way of preserving foods for cold months way back when in the era I should have lived.

You can ferment foods for all different effects and reasons.  You may be familiar with the process of making wine and beer and other alcohols.  A fermentation process is used to change the sugars in the grains and fruits into alcohol.

Sourdough bread goes through a fermentation process whereby the  wheat mixed with water goes sets off a breakdown of enzymes converting the so-an-so’s into something or other.   Bacteria cultures come about (I have no idea what I am saying here) and it makes the bread taste sour.    This process is done mostly for flavor purposes.  Only has minimal health benefits over regular wheat bread.  But  bottom line it taste AWESOME for all you gluten people out there.  Love, love,  love the  taste of sourdough bread.

These are not the culture processes I want to talk about today.  The fermentation foods that are power packed, probiotic filled,  life saving wonderment.  That is what I want to hit on.  The stuff saved my health.   And what started out a science experiment and dislike for the flavors, turned in to a lifeline to well-being.  My body craves the stuff when I don’t have it.

So what are they?

They are clean, preferably organic (we want cultured food not cultured chemicals)  foods that when left to their own devices produce their own good bacteria (probiotics) which when live in our bodies fight off any incoming bad bacteria to ward off illness.  Our bodies have naturally occurring good bacteria which do that.  But the stress and compromise that we subject our vessels to negate many good things in our bodies.  Also, fermented foods are pre-digested, meaning during the culturing process the food has started to break down itself so the digestion, by the time it hits your stomach, is easier.  Our bodies are asked to digest some really hard things.  Like foods with chemicals and foods with stripped nutritional value.  Our bodies simply do not know what to do with it.

If you:

eat processed foods

eat sugar

take antibiotics( they kill not only bad bacteria but ALL bacteria.  If you must be on them, take over the counter probiotics with them so you are not depleting all of your fightin’ buddies)

drink alcohol

any chemical laden foods

….you most likely have a compromised immune system, which means you are lacking good bacteria.

My dr. gave me lots of necessary steps to take but this cultured food deal was, in my mind and body, the most important.

The three cultured foods I eat religiously are:

YOGURT AND KEFIR.  Both of these are cultured milk products.  They are full of probiotics.  You can make them your self with culture starters or good yogurt.  Or you can buy from the store.  Buy ORGANIC, PLAIN  yogurt or kefir.  You are only wasting your money if you purchase fruity stuff.  The sugar and other stuff that is added makes it useless.   Add your own berries or what have you.

COCONUT KEFIR WATER.  Young coconut water store-bought.  Use a kefir starter which you can by at health food stores or online.  I buy online at http://www.bodyecologydiet.com.  You can get all culture starters there.  Buy her book while you’re at it.  Her book saved my life.  When I drink it, it turns my skin translucent.  Beautiful silky.

Coconut Water

You just add kefir starter and coconut water into glass crock with rubber gasket (they get the best seal) and sit on counter for 2 days.  It will taste effervescent.  A little champagney.  After all, it is fermented.  It is a treat!  Stocked full of yummy bacteria.

Finally and most importantly,

Cultured Veggies in glass crock

CULTURED VEGGIES!!!!!.   This is it, man.  I’m tellin’ you what.   It is like gold.  I am starting to see this stuff at my food store and it is sold for 10.99 a pint.  10.99 A PINT.   I have to buy it when I am out and it is gone in three servings.  ugh.  When I make it, I make 10 litres at a time.  And since it is naturally preserved I can take all the time I need to gobble it up.   This past   year I invested in the old german ceramic crocks that they used in the olden days to preserve their “kraut”  in the old dark cellars of yesteryear.  They come in sizes from a gallon, I think, up to 10 gallon crocks.  They are very cool.  I bought two- 10 litre crocks.  Very heavy duty.

German Ceramic Crock

I will post the Cultured Vegetable recipe on the recipe page.   I can just say that it would be very worth your while to make it.  There are many great recipes out there.  I have settled on one that I have used for 7 years that works for me.

To your health!

God bless,

Karen

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September 5, 2012 · 22:26

Remedies For Candida

Can you guess where this is?

It would never occur to most of us that we have yeast over growing in our bodies.  Yeast lives with in the human body and should not cause problems but it can become invasive and wreak havoc through out our body.  This post is a follow-up from May 21st.  Please refer to the earlier post for symptoms of Candida Albicans (fungus).   Yeast produces toxic chemicals that are absorbed into the body.

Do you feel lousy but can’t get a diagnosis?  Are you tired all the time?  Frequent headaches? Depression?  Constipation?

How do we treat Candida?  Sugar is the primary nourishment for yeast.  You can imagine with the amount of sugar that we consume that yeast could very well be a problem for most of us. Some foods that contain sugar or break down into sugar are:
All sweets

Breads

Pasta

Fruit

Soft Drinks and Ades

Alcohol

The only way to get a hold of the yeast growth which can literally attack all areas of your body is to starve the yeast.

Maintaining a diet of veggies, protein and fruit that is not high in sugar (lemons, grapefruit, tart apples, berries) is the best thing.

Stay away from foods that might have mold:  vinegar, peanuts, melons, dried fruit.

Avoid coffee.  Avoid alcohol.  And any other beverage that is acidic, high in sugar, or turns to sugar in the body.

Avoid milk products (except yogurt).  They are  high in lactose.

Take probiotics by eating plain yogurt or take supplements to  fight the fungi.

Do an intestinal cleanse.

Take Vitamin B Complex.

There is a load of material online for your “enjoyment”.

Every symptom  I had (chronic fatigue, daily headaches, constipation,  abdominal issues, brain fog, sinus pain,  acne,  bouts of depression) went away after I starved the yeast.  There are  many more symptoms than those I listed.

If I follow the above recommendations 90 percent of the time, I am good to go.  And I have found it is well worth my time and energy to do so.  I have more energy than I ever have.   And I am older than I have ever been.    How bout that.

Happy eating!

I will put money on no one guessing where this is.

God bless,

Karen

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August 15, 2012 · 20:58

Day is Done, Gone the Sun.. Part I

…For my meat chickens.  Tonight, we pack ’em up and down the road they go.  They are called Freedom Rangers.  Sounds like a motorcycle cult, don’t you think?  They have grown to be beautiful birds.  The roosters are now crowing their little heads off and wreaking havoc on the hens already.  The hens scream bloody murder when they are chomped on  the neck by some mean ol’ beak.  There are clearly too many roosters out there.

Freedom Rangers – Day 1

Freedom Rangers- Day 100

We will take their food away tonight at beddy bye time.  And in the dark of night around 4:30 we will sneak in there while they are sleeping and load them in cages and take them about 2 hours  from here to those mean ol’  chicken people.  They will be ready to be picked up by 3 in the afternoon.

It will be a little odd to take my first bite out of something we raised.  This is our first time doing this.  I am confident that the results will be satisfactory.  I will let you know next post!  Wont that be something?  Animal today. Culinary review tomorrow.

Speaking of culinary review, we had a delish dish this weekend that included (shhhh)…. chicken. ( I dont want them to hear me)   I  WILL  be making this again.   Please enjoy.

Brazilian Chicken with Coconut Milk. (again, I forgot to shoot photo.  I cant remember to do that.  I will try harder.)

When I say coconut milk, I mean the real kind in a can.  Thick and yummy.  Not the processed junk that you can drink.

So simple and totally health right.  Serve over rice or pasta.

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground cayenne

1 t. ground turmeric

1 t. ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste

4 skinless chicken breast.  You can use any chicken part you want.  I used 6 skinless boneless thighs.

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 T. Minced ginger

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

3 tomatoes chopped and seeded

1 can of coconut milk

1 bunch chopped parsley

Mix all spices in a bowl and dip meat in spice covering both sides.  Cook chicken in oil in skillet until done.  About 10 minutes on each side.

Remove chicken from pan and add into pan  onion, ginger, peppers, and garlic.  Cook until tender.

Mix in the tomatoes and continue to cook 5-8 minutes.  Stir in the coconut milk.  Mix thoroughly.  Serve over chicken.  Garnish with lovely parsley.

Beautifully spicy!

Since I try to properly combine food for easier digestion, I served this dish without pasta or rice.  Mixing the starch (rice, pasta) and protein ( chicken) is not good.  So, I served it with another veggie on the side.  For leftovers, I took the sauce left over and served it with green beans over rice. 

Wont you check back next time for Part 2 –  The Field Trip to the Amish Farm.

My experiment with flying laundry late at night.

Have yerself a super day.

God bless,

Karen

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July 27, 2012 · 10:08

The Ever Lovin’ Tomato

That’s what I call a lovey tomato.

Tomatoes are starting to roll in at a fast clip.  If you are growing them you might concur.     My sister showed up last fall with a colander full of orange cherry tomatoes.  While I dont have any experience really in cherry tomatoes, I did recognize these tasted different.  Like candy.  Truly.  I have never tasted anything like it.   I spent the better part of the winter and early spring researching (I am the queen of research) the origin of these little gobblie things.  The best I could tell, they were Sun Sugar.

Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes

I bought 3 plants to fill our tummies and I am going to turn into an acidic something or other if I am not careful.    And while mine are sweet, I am not convinced mine are as sweet as hers.  I am eating probably about 50 a day.  Poppin’ em like sugar.  That is a good way to develop food sensitivities.  Eating too much of one thing.  Like wheat.

I have found SUPER easy ways of preserving tomatoes that are literally as easy as throwing them at the freezer.

Pop whole tomatoes with skins on in gallon freezer bags and throw in freezer for future use.

Sundry them.  Cut them up in half and lay cut side up  on cookie sheet and pop in oven on 200 for about 6 hours.  Until they are leather hard.  Not brittle.  Transfer to zip lock bags.

I do not go through the hassle of peeling my tomatoes.  I’m not sure why people do.  Peels in my sauces have not caused a problem for me or those whom I share with.

Last week I shared with my family a super easy luscious  pasta that went like this:

Pasta from the Shieling

When tomatoes are roasted they sorta have that “tang” of sun-dried but more subtle and yummy with olive oil.

Serves 4.

Cut 6 good-sized tomatoes in chunks and lay on cookie sheet.

Drizzle with generous olive oil.

Sprinkle with generous amount of minced garlic.

sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Roast in oven at 275 for a 2 hours.

Add it to your favorite pasta (Tinkyada is  a hands down wonderful gluten-free pasta.  My people can’t tell the difference.  Give your body a rest from wheat this time.)   doused in olive oil and garnish with chopped fresh basil and shaved parmesan.

Please enjoy!

My neighbor’s horse  going eye to eye with a  monster insect.

Pops and I keep thinking about horses.  We have miles of trails behind our house.  We know they are lots of work,  but what isn’t?  What I don’t want to do is invest in a money pit.  I keep being told that I can’t simply have my horse out on a hitching post and  just get on him whenever I need to move about on our property.  Isn’t that what the cowboys did?  Do you have an opinion on why we shouldn’t?  I would really like to hear.

Have a super blessed day.  You are loved beyond measure.

Karen

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July 18, 2012 · 09:58

Rain and Pickles. Pickles and Rain.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about  the weather.  WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE WEATHER?

We lived in New Orleans for three years in the early 80’s.  Oh my goodness.  If you want to feel oppression at its best (or worst) take a stroll through New Orleans in July or August.  Summer has never held the same meaning for me since those days in the Crescent City.

Ahh, those were the days! Still not sure if they were good days or bad.

I have been running from the sun and humidity ever since.  If there is a shade tree, I will find him and he WILL  become my friend.

Since  we  moved to the farm, I have had to buck up and take the heat.  My chores take me outside throughout the day and I have now decided that 95 is nothing.  Much time has been spent in trying to   convince myself of that.  I have realized that 98-99 is the danger point for my animals so I am pretty calm if it stays under that.

BUT FOR CRYIN” OUT LOUD!!!!

I’m just sayin’.

On a serious note, I look at the country scape, suburban scape, or where ever you have your eyes set right now,  (if you live in the heartland) and I want to weep.  I will accept the 95 degree days if we could just get water to our trees and crops.  In all of my years, I have not witnessed such a sad state of affairs.

What happens when trees totally dry out?  Do they just fall over?  I keep imagining trees falling randomly onto roads and highways.

Where do we get water if our lake source dries up?

What happened to Atlanta when their lake source dried up a couple of years ago?

What is going to happen to our trees that are indigenous to this area when they are no longer capable of surviving?

Are we going to be witness to a severe shift in our environment and ecology?  Our environment may survive this season,  but two seasons in a row?

Am I being paranoid?  Maybe.

We say the Serenity Prayer a lot around here:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

I need to say it more often so that I can stop worrying about things I have no control over.  I obviously think that if I worry enough that it will start raining.   Or worse yet   cynicism  will creep in because I have lost faith that it will ever rain.  That is the worst thing that I could do.  Cynicism is more toxic than worrying.  So, I think I’ll jump back on the saddle and say my Serenity prayer.

Homemade pickles

We have cucumbers coming out of our ears!  Many recipes I have looked at contained sugar.  I did not want to do that.  This recipe is supposedly the same as Bubbies.  Found in grocery stores.  Kind of considered top of the line, old style, wonderful pickles.  My family are pickle snobs so this was/is tricky for me. Ours are done and they taste wonderful.   What is really cool is that it said if I wanted my pickles to keep a crispness crunch to add oak leaves to the jars.  We only have 90 acres of oak trees so it was my pleasure to oblige.   We like crispy pickles.

If you are growing them, please use this recipe.  It is yummy and healthy.  If you are not, buy pickle cucumbers at your farmer’s market and make them.  It is super easy.

If you do not have a lot of experience in fermentation of foods (natural way of preserving food which has been used hundreds of years until we discovered chemicals) it may be scary as it contradicts the way we have been taught to preserve food.  I have been doing it for 7 years and it works.  And not only does it work,  it provides you with naturally grown probiotics which we all need desperately.

Pickles from the Shieling

The following ingredients will fulfill the requirements for a 1/2 gallon ball jar.  Use less if using smaller jars. You may use whole, spears or any cut you would like pickles.

Fill jar with pickles

Add:

3 T. non- iodized sea salt

1 Head of garlic, peeled chopped

1.5 T. whole dill seed

1 T. whole coriander seed

1/2 t. whole mustard seed

1/2 t. whole peppercorns

1/2 t. fennel seed

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1-3 oak or grape leaves

Fill jar with filtered warm water and put lid on.  Shake about to dissolve salt and mix ingredients.  Open jar back up and put a weight of some sort on top of water to keep the cucumbers submerged.  You do not want the pickles to get air during the fermentation process.  You can use  a stone or small tile.  I used two sticks crisscrossed that were wedge into the neck of the jar.  It keeps contents stuck underneath.   Keep a loose seal on jar lid.  Set in nice warm place for 1-4 weeks.  Check after a week and see if they are tasty enough for you.  I kept mine on the shelf for 2 weeks and they were perfect.  Afterwards place them in cool place (refrigerator or cellar) for as long as it takes to eat them.  Once they are done sitting and you put them in fridge it is no longer necessary to keep weight on pickles.  They are self preserved through the fermentation process.  Enjoy!

As I finish this post after starting last night, I’d like to report 1/4 inch of rain.  It was specTACular!

God bless,

Karen

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July 15, 2012 · 21:59

“You Cant Always Get What You Want, But If You Try Sometime

..You just might find, you get what you need.”

Words sung by the beloved Rolling Stones.

Can’t  speak of them without paying homage to them, now can I?

I did not take this photo, although it would have been pretty cool if I had.

Not sure there is anyone out there who hasn’t sung that  tune under their breath at some point or another to themselves or directed at someone else.   I think I walked away from my kids on numerous occasions hummin’ the tune.   It’s easy to sing it about someone else but it stings when you have to sing it to yourself.

There are definitely some things that I want.  I want real bad.  And it has become obvious to me that I (and our society as a whole) have a hard time differentiating between  wants and needs.  I say “need” a lot.    I need to take a shower.  I need new sheets.  I need to eat dessert.  I need to cut the grass. I need to comb my hair.  I need to hem my pants.  I need to buy more spatulas to add to my other 5 because I may need to flip 6 things at once.    These aren’t real needs, are they?   I think we say “need” to convince ourselves of the urgency of our wants.  We learn when we are toddlers to interject  that urgent word to be taken seriously.  I NEEEEEED that cookie!!!!!!

Ok.. So what do I want so badly today?  MILK!!!!!  I know I don’t NEED milk because I have gone 7 years without it and have felt great.  In fact, I have felt better living without it than living with it.  But my mind has convinced me that I need it.  I yearn for it.  The honest truth is I would love a tall glass of cold, cold milk.  I miss it.  And I’d like to see it in my life again.  No big deal.  So why have I gone to such great lengths to touch it to my lips again?  Maybe I’m OCD.  Who knows.

I cannot tolerate cow dairy.   I figured that out 7 years ago.  Felt sick from it for 30 years prior to the discovery.  But, hey, who’s counting?   When we bought the property 5 years ago, I began planning our dairy goat venture.  5 years of research led me down the road to buying 3 goats.  2 does and 1 buck.  I had the set up for many years of milk production to fill my tummy with yummy thick 6.5% butterfat milk.   COULD NOT WAIT.  Got the girls pregnant.  Waited patiently, then impatiently for many more months than it should have taken for these little kiddies to be born.  The day arrived.

I began milking the two does several weeks ago.  Between the two of them I got about 6 ounces.  Ok.  That’s ok, I thought.  We’ll get there.  I brought the milk in, strained it, plunged it in ice water then stuck it in the fridge.  I am a huge advocate of raw milk.  Many medicinal qualities and unbelievable amount of nutrients that are killed through pasteurization.  (I will tell that story another day). I wanted those nutrients.!!!   I wanted my body to feel what it was like to have those intense nutrients.  The milk tasted U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.

Two days into the milking, I began to get the same symptoms that I get with cow milk.  Respiratory infection symptoms.  By the way,  this has nothing to do with raw milk.  I got the same symptoms from pasteurized milk.  There is enough difference in goat milk and cow milk I was hoping that difference was going to be the difference for me.

I have “leaky gut syndrome”  (I know, sounds gross.)  which is where the intestinal wall is weak in some places and undigested proteins from foods leak out into the blood stream and poison the body.  The intestinal wall can heal and people can resume foods but mine must not be healed completely.  And may never.    Lots of foods can do this and manifest itself in many ways in the body creating symptoms of illness that may not seem related to food.  We think that all food problems will only be felt in the stomach.

Our bodies can be compromised and weakened by many things we consume.  Processed foods.  Chemicals.  Alcohol.  Sugar.  Gluten.    And then, if compromised, the foods that can wreak havoc are corn, gluten, dairy, tomatoes, and nuts.  Probably meat for some people.  Things that are more complicated in nature that take extra time,  energy  and enzymes to digest.

So……. I have 6 goats.  And I can’t drink the milk.  Got goats?  Got milk?   Yes.   And since I haven’t gotten more than 6 ounces at a time and everyone else here can drink cow dairy, I am baggin’ the dairy thing.  (I think…)  I am very disappointed as I have spent an enormous amount of time learning, dreaming,  planning, etc.  and I am at a loss.  I feel really sad that I didn’t get what I want.   My plan did not work out.  Maybe I shouldn’t put so much stock into “my” plan.   My warped mind still keeps trying to figure this out.  I think, surely, I can get this thing to work in my favor.  When you spend so much time working toward something it should work, right?  That’s what I think.   But I’m afraid it is not to be.

But I always get what I need.  Thank God for that.

God bless,

Karen

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July 10, 2012 · 05:00

Omega What?

Omega 3.  What is it?  We are reading it on a  lot of labels, aren’t we?  Omega 6.  Same thing.  What the heck?  Why does it matter?  Sometimes I think the “whoe’er out there”  just makes this stuff up.     (I wont go there…I want to be positive)

But we DO need to talk about the Omega 6’s and 3’s.

Omega 6 AND 3 are fatty acids that we need for a healthy body.  Our body does not make them.  We  get them through our foods.  Once consumed, they are converted into the building blocks for hormones that control immune function, blood clotting, and cell growth as well as components of cell membranes.  In my book, important stuff.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS that it needs to be in balance in our bodies to work properly.   THE TYPICAL AMERICAN IS NOT BALANCED.   The ideal ratio is 2:1 (omega 6: omega 3). The typical American has a ratio of 20:1.  Not good.

What happens when we are out of balance with our 6’s and our 3’s?  Well….  This is what my research turns up:

The imbalance causes an inflammatory environment causing chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, diabetes and arthritis.   As well as heart problems and depression.    That is not good.

****What may seem really bizarre is that many people who eat very healthily can be susceptible to these chronic diseases because they are out of balance.

What we have to remember is that Omega 6  is necessary and good ONLY if it is balanced with the omega 3.

So what foods have omega 6 and what foods have omega 3,  you ask?

Omega-6

Vegetable oils: grape seed, cottonseed, safflower, corn and sunflower oils.

Processed foods.  Most made with very cheap oils.

Grains

Meat

Dairy

As you can see many of these items are good for us.  And that is not the issue.  The issue is keeping all in balance.

Omega-3

Flax seed/oil

Cod liver oil and fish oil ( the label above is THE BEST you can buy.)

Walnuts

Beans (not all beans are rich in omega-3.  Some are more than others.

Fish

Olive, macadamia, avocado and coconut oils.

Grass fed meat and chickens.

Free range eggs

So while it is not necessary to refrain from the omega-6 rich foods, it is vital that you add more of the omega -3 rich foods with it.

How to balance:

Eat walnuts instead of almonds, every other time.  Don’t forget to soak and dry first both almonds and walnuts!  Almonds are very high in 6 while walnuts are high is 3.

Eat fish more often.

Take cod liver oil or fish oil. Fermented is the best kind and can be purchased online.  I buy a year supply at a time.

Switch oils. Remember oils come in many different forms.  Lots and lots of processed food uses oils.  Including anything that tries to look or act like butter.

DONT EAT PROCESSED FOODS!!!!!

Eat less grains and eat more beans.

Drizzle flaxseed oil on foods high in omega-6

Chronic diseases are ruling our culture and our health care.

Take great care of yourself!

God bless,

Karen

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