An Honest Mick's up

I am human... Just thought I'd clear that up.

I want to be honest about being normal...  (after all, I did only learn this lifestyle stuff a few years ago)... and I want to share some things to encourage you.


There's nothing juicy here, just some simple truth about every day life.

Ready?  Here it goes.

Healthy eating takes work.

Surprised?  Probably not.

My secret?  I hate that healthy eating takes work.  I am a scheduler, but I hate meal planning.  Do you despise planning meals, too?

I really, truly wish I didn't have to pack lunches every day of the school year (but I do it to offer the healthiest options possible to my children).   I know, I know:  Someday, too soon, I'll be an empty-nester and wishing I still had kidderz at home to pack lunches for.  I'll try to remember that and not complain.

I wish I didn't have to cook breakfast and dinner every day, trying to please the family, while keeping things healthy and simple, feeling like the only thing accomplished for the day is feeding everyone.  Then comes the dreaded phrase, "We're having that, again?"  (I guess that means I need to add a bit more variety, which, again, takes work.)

I remember what it was like when we didn't know better.  True, I still had to come up with ideas of what we'd eat each day, but buying something pre-made or mostly made was a lot easier than cooking from scratch... and it is the normal thing to do.

It's not that people aren't smart or are too lazy, but some families haven't gotten all the information they need to make wiser choices.. like us in the past.  We consumed more processed foods back then.  I thought we were making healthy choices, but I didn't know then what I know now.

Sometimes I wish I still didn't know the dangers.  Sometimes I wish life was easier.

However, there ARE simple and quick recipes that ARE healthy AND tasty.  In fact, I use more spices now than I have our entire married life to this point.  There are some mighty delicious recipes that we can prepare without adding all kinds of junk... and the family approves them.

Please note:  I am not an amazing cook, by any stretch of the imagination.  There is nothing exceptional about my work in the kitchen.  Anyone can do what I do.  Follow a good recipe, and you'll surprise yourself!

I am also not a great baker (really not very good at all).  I always said I'd have to hire my brother to be my baker and gardener, because he was born with those skills and I wasn't.

I can follow a recipe, and if I find something that works for my family, it's a staple.

However, without using "normal" flour and sugar, things aren't working out so easy for me.  Sure, I share yummy recipes I come across... but I can't always get them to look and/or taste nice.

There are many wonderfully talented bakers and cooks out there, and I recommend you look up recipes and tips from them... such nutritionists as:
Elise Scwartz
Kimberly Roberto
Lin Hardick

Though I am not a nutrionist, nor officially certified in anything, I was trained in nutrition and fitness in three different (awesome) jobs, receiving job-specific certification in nutrition and fitness for one of those companies.

The reason I started this blog was to continue the coaching that I was enjoying so much at that office.  Yes, I was a nutrition coach... and to this day, if you sincerely ask me, I'll be glad to give you some pointers.

People look for someone they can use as an easy resource for these things... someone who is (or has been) where they are, understanding the challenges and frustrations.

It was mostly moms asking for help in the office, and so some of my writing (No, I am not a mommy blogger!) might tend toward moms.  However, it's not just moms that need to be informed.

It's important for everyone to stop believing the lies, and take a different angle to managing health... to be empowered!

One way our family has done this is by considering our chiropractor as our main doctor.

Our plan is to use our physician for crisis care only.  You know: if an arm is falling off, or blood is involved somehow.

Years ago, my kidderz were at the physician's office a lot, and they were prescribed medicine all the time... but... since late 2010, I have not bought any medicines for them, and that means we have not used any over-the-counter pain relievers nor cold medicines.  That's nearly THREE YEARS!  For two adults who popped ibuprofen at the slightest discomfort, that's a major deal!  3 Years!

However.... here comes another secret... more honesty...
As I explain in Our Crazy Mick's up Summer, that summer we had a few strange issues in our family, and I cracked.  I admit it!

I was desperate to get relief from my poison rash that had spread to every limb.  Realizing the aloe wasn't allowing it to dry, and without doing any research, I bought the only thing I knew (because of childhood experiences): Calamine Lotion.  Since then, I looked up information to find that our parents and grandparents certainly did OK by that.  Whew!

However, I'm not so happy with my decisions for my son's swimmer's ear.

I became a normal mom, wanting to do whatever was necessary to make my "baby" feel better.

First, I tried my best to use home remedies, like peroxide, rubbing alcohol, garlic and olive oil.

Then, worrying myself silly, I took my son to the physician.

My main concern was to be sure his ear was not being damaged.

I was relieved to find out everything was fine, besides the fact that he had inflammation and pain.

However, the doctor prescribed antibiotic/steroid drops for the ear.

I fought myself over the decision to buy or not to buy.  Much against my better judgment, I gave in to the medical model, and I paid way too much money for something that ended up just sitting unused.

OK... I confess: I did put a drop in his ear that first day or two, but after that, the medicine just sat, and my son was absolutely fine without it.

Am I proud of this decision?  No.  Am I embarrassed?  Yes.  Would I make that same decision again?  No.

Do I understand moms and their worries?  Yes.  I'll say it again:  Yes!

So, please take heart that we are all human, and we might make mistakes now and then...  but we must move on and seek wisdom and discernment in all situations to make the best decisions we can make for our families.

... Oh, and I cheat, too.  It's not much of a secret, but since I'm being honest here...
I still like my cheats: chocolate once in a while, and pizza ANY time (my downfall!).

The difference now versus before healthy living?  At least now I know with cheats come consequences, and I prepare myself for those consequences:  stuffy nose and sinus issues, headaches, stiff joints, tight muscles, grumpiness, fatigue, lower performance in exercise, slower brain function, and maybe even weakening my immune system to the point of allowing a cold to take over my body.

Because I know what'll happen, I do my best to only enjoy these cheats at times when I am not needing to be at "the top of my game..." and that is usually only once or twice per week, at the most.

Do you have some things to be honest with yourself about?  Do you have some guilt for some wrong decisions?  Stop worrying about them.  Face them.  Get back up.  Then move on.  You will learn from those mistakes, and who knows... you might just be able to help someone else because of what you went through.

"We lose our way. We get back up again.
It's never too late to get back up again.
One day you will shine again.
You may be knocked down, but not out forever."
(Toby Mac)


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"An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips."

Proverbs 24:26

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Mick’s in Groceries

Are you a Coupon Queen? I know some ladies who are great at couponing, and can probably be titled Coupon Queens. I’ve never achieved that status. I tried once, but failed. I discovered I was buying things I wouldn’t normally buy, just because I had a coupon. Nowadays, we buy “out-of-the-ordinary” items that are almost never put on sale and rarely put on a coupon. That’s OK, though. That is a sacrifice we are willing to make. I know: It sounds crazy to most. We are choosing to spend more on food that is nutritious and will enhance wellness, so that we spend a lot less on medicine to mask illness… and, boy, does it feel great!

Here’s a typical day in the life of our grocery shopping.

Weekly:
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk
Granny Smith Apples
Berries
Bananas
Almond Butter
Smucker’s Simply Fruit
Butter
Raw Milk Cheese
Grass-fed Beef
Ground Turkey
Organic Free-range Chicken Breast
Free-range Eggs
Spinach
Mixed Greens
Broccoli
Feta Cheese
Organic Cream Cheese
Ezekiel Bread
Applegate Sliced Turkey
Veggies: Beans, Peas, Lima Beans
Cucumbers
Stonyfield Whole Milk Plain Yogurt
Coconut water and/or Naked juice for kidderz lunches
(We mostly drink water at our house.)
Splurge item: SoDelicious coconut ice cream!
 
On-hand, not purchased weekly:
Bolthouse Honey Mustard Dressing
Bolthouse Raspberry Dressing
Bolthouse Ranch Dressing
Garlic
Onions
Peppers: Green, Yellow, Red
Crushed Tomatoes
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Coconut Oil
Protein Powder for shakes/smoothies
Raw Nuts: Almonds, Pecans, Cashews, Pistachios
Dates
Red/Pink Salt
Fresh-ground Pepper
Xylitol
Stevia
Almond Flour and/or Meal
Coconut Flour
Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
 
I got an awesome deal on eggs this week! My brother and his wife raise chickens, and they are sending some eggs to us, by way of our parents. Yay!! (Aren't big brothers and parents the best?!)

Keeping it simple is the key!

Have fun experimenting with nutrition!

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.”

Numbers 11:5 (NIV)

 

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Why Mick’s in Red Ribbons

I was informed (by a very handsome and tall friend of mine, to whom I just happen to be married) that this is Red Ribbon Week.  I had never heard of it before.  Maybe you have, but if you haven’t, or if you aren’t privy to the details, I’ll fill you in a little. 

Red Ribbon Week was started because friends wanted to honor the sacrifices of people like Kiki Camarena, who was murdered in 1985 when working undercover for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  It’s sad that it takes tragedies to wake us up, but it is always great to remind people of the dangers of drugs.

This also opens up a great opportunity to remind people of the dangers of all drugs, including alcohol, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs.  They are all toxins to our bodies.

"The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." ~ Voltaire

Last week's Mick’s in Pain focused on some of the dangers of ibuprofen.  We all know there are side effects with any medicine.  Of course there are.  They are toxins!  Our bodies were not created to need outside sources for healing, so why not strive to do all we can to keep from taking medication and filling our bodies with toxins?  Yes, there are some people who really need medication, and they are under crisis care… but if there’s any way to improve the situation, wouldn’t they want to… and if you’re not in crisis, don’t you want to try something else that's not a chemical?

Don't let  it take another tragedy to wake you up!

I like the Red Ribbon Week Pledge:  No use of illegal drugs, no illegal use of legal drugs!  Even better, I like the slogan:  “Let Your Light Shine:  Live alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug free!”  Can we also try to add to that “totally drug free!?”  It seems impossible, but it’s worth at least striving for:  100% ME drug-free!

“Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it;

I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”
Jeremiah 33:6 (NIV)

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Mick’s in Pain

What do you do for pain?

All this mountain climbing and vacuuming is making me a bit sore.  How about you?

What do you do for minor aches and pains?  Do you take ibuprofen or aspirin, etc., or do you prefer the more natural way with blueberries, bromelain, etc.?

Even though there is research trying to link ibuprofen and Alzheimer’s in a good way, there is still danger.  “Ibuprofen may cause life-threatening heart or circulation problems such as heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term.” (Drugs.com) … Plus…  “Long-term use of NSAIDs carries a risk of gastrointestinal problems.” (US News Health Buzz)

What are some of those GI problems?

“Internal bleeding may be caused as a side effect of medications (most often from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin) and alcohol.  These substances can cause inflammation and bleeding of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, the first part of the small intestine as it leaves the stomach.” (MedicineNet.com)

“According to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the use of low-dose aspirin increases the risk for GI bleeding, with the risk being increased further with accompanying use of cardiovascular disease-preventing therapies, such as clopidogrel and anticoagulants.  In patients who took proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), bleeding risk decreased.” (Science Daily via EurekAlert!)

“It is estimated that approximately 120,000 people are hospitalized each year with gastrointestinal bleeding due to NSAID use.  Conservative estimates are that 16,500 die as a result.” (Jeff Sargent on Natural Health Informer)

I used to take ibuprofen on a regular basis, but I am surprised and very glad to be able to say I haven’t taken any ibuprofen (nor cold meds) for a year!  It’s an amazing process:  change what you put into your body (such as sugar, grains/flour, bad oils, etc., which cause inflammation and toxicity), and eventually you can cut out some of the other things you used to feel like you had to put into your body (toxins, like pain relievers, allergy medicines, etc.).  Some people refer to the bad stuff as man-made foods and the good stuff as God foods.  I like that.  It’s a good reminder.

Which would you rather do… be uncomfortable for a little while, as you change your intake… or… risk your health for some temporary relief?  I think I know which one your family would choose for you.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God. “

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

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It’s a Mick's of Toxins

With all this talk of toxins, you may be wondering, “Where do we find toxins and why are they everywhere?”

It’s crazy.  I never used to worry about this stuff.  I thought only "extremists" got hung up on avoiding everything “normal.”  I had no desire to be part of that life.

Then I started thinking beyond myself.

It finally hit me.  Why do I want to be selfish and not change my lifestyle to make a healthier family?  Why do I want to curse my children and my husband with unhealthy living, just so I don’t have to go out of my comfort zone?

I love my family more than that!

So, I took a deep breath, and dove in.

I really dove in!  I chose to stop buying anything now considered “junk food” by the new definition.  All recipes were altered to follow guidelines I was given, and really yummy new recipes jumped to the top of the list of favorites.  The kitchen got emptied of its toxic items:  food and hardware.  Ingredient lists were read on EVERYTHING, and the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room were filled with new healthy choices.

Shopping and cooking took a bit longer in those first days (and months).  OK, more than a bit… but it had become a decision as serious as life or death.  Do I want to make things easier on me, at the risk of filling my  husband with toxins, killing him slowly, and possibly leading him into a life of torture with such illnesses as Alzheimer’s Disease?  Do I want to teach my children to live in such a way that would increase their risks of suffering from heart disease or cancer?

Simply, the answer to all of that is, “NO!”

I still don’t consider us extremists or nutcases.  We simply look at ingredients of all things we purchase, and do our best to minimize the toxins we allow into our home and our bodies.
What kinds of things do we look for, and what can we normal, ordinary, every-day families do about it? 

The Toxic Top 10 is a great reference, for example:

• Cleaning/Personal Care Products:  When considering ingredients, if you can’t eat it, don’t use it.
  
• Pesticides and Herbicides:  Follow the list of Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen
  
• Meats/Protein:  There are so many hormones and antibiotics injected into our food sources these days, and there are many harmful effects.  We look for grass-fed beef, raw-milk products, free-range poultry and eggs, and we avoid pork.  A great source is:  Beyond Organic
  
• Preservatives/Additives/Rancid Fats/etc.
  • Neurotoxins/Excitotoxins: We do not consume any product with any artificial/chemical sweetener, such as sucralose/splenda, aspartame, saccharin, ace-k, neotame, nor with MSG (see next bullet).
    
  • MSG: There are many products with this in it. Many of you already know the effects MSG can have on a body, because you’re already suffering from such things as headaches. Other MSG-containing ingredients to look out for are yeast extract, torula yeast, autolyzed or hydrolyzed vegetable proteins.  Mike Adams has a book to help you look for the things to avoid in the grocery store. Pick up a copy of Grocery Warning System to fill your grocery cart with healing foods, and stop being one of the 95% of Americans who fill their carts with ingredients known to cause cancer!
    
  • Sugar:  We stay away from buying foods with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and we go so far as to stay away from even natural ones (to keep inflammation down as much as possible), such as evaporated cane juice, rice syrup, barley malt, honey, and agave nectar (although we sometimes splurge with allowing agave-sweetened foods or honey).  We can choose alternatives for our Sweeteners.
    
  • Rancid Fats/Oils:  Mark’s Daily Apple touches on what to avoid.
  
  
• Pots and Pans:  We threw out our Teflon and other unsafe non-stick kitchen items.
  
• Environment/Biotoxins/Molds:  Check around your house, and keep it as safe as possible.  Fight off toxins with a detox for your body, like the one my family uses:  Daily Detox
  
• Medicines:  Stay away!  Find alternatives, when possible!  Incorporate 5 simple steps to healthy living, to reduce inflammation and toxicity, and to get your brain’s messages throughout your entire body, and to have healthy cells that can function properly.  Then your body can begin to heal, and  you can eventually get off your meds.  (My husband and I did!  Yay!)

Some extra links for more research:
The Stinky Facts About Smelling Good
Propylene Glycol
Fluoride Alert
Natural News:  Chemicals
Natural News:  Organic Foods
Natural News:  Ingredients
Natural News:  Products to Watch
Grocery Warning System
Dr. Russell Blaylock:  Excitotoxins
SLS
Journal of the American College of Toxicology:  SLS
Other Chemicals to Avoid

“Give the people these instructions,

so that no one may be open to blame.

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives,

and especially for their own household,

has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

1 Timothy 5:7-9 (NIV)

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FMS in the Mick’s?

I need to be totally honest with you.  I do not truly know what it is like to have brain fog.  I cannot say I fully understand.  However, I have had to deal with it second-hand.  It is difficult enough to watch someone trying to function in life while in a fog.  I can’t imagine the stress of being in that fog.  I am sorry that those of you with brain fog have to deal with it.  Please realize, though, that I am writing this blog to try to help you know you don’t have to live with it.  There is a way out of the fog!

Today’s topic is related to brain fog.  One of the symptoms of FMS is brain fog.
I’ve seen hope glimmering in my husband’s eyes, as he sees the fog lifting… and as he feels his quality of life improving dramatically, after dealing with FMS for years.  Yes, he’s a guy and he was diagnosed with FMS, even though the statistics say it’s a 7:1 ratio of women to men with FMS. (CDC)

What is FMS?
FMS = Fibromyalgia Syndrome = difficult to diagnose = frustrating for those with it, because of comments like, “It’s all in your head.”

How is FMS diagnosed?
“To receive a diagnosis of FM, the patient must meet the following diagnostic criteria:

• Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months
• Tenderness or pain in at least 11 of the 18 specified tender points when pressure is applied”

Progress has been made by Dr. Bruce Gillis to give hope to FMS sufferers that doctors can determine that their symptoms are not just in their heads.  He has developed a blood test that is 95% accurate in detecting fibromyalgia.  It looks at cytokines in the blood.  What do cytokines do?  “The simple answer is that cytokines are small protein molecules released by nerve and immune cells that send signals to other cells in the body to do things like alter cell functions and increase/decrease the regulate of genes.  In the case of fibromyalgia, these messengers cause the central nervous system to create the widespread body pain characteristic of fibromyalgia as well as other physiological, hormonal and behavioral changes.”  These cytokines are related to inflammation in the body.

Toxicity and inflammation are two major factors involved in the pain of FMS.  Once they are decreased, there is a definite decrease in symptoms.  My husband is living proof.

Not only is decreasing toxins and inflammation a great start to combating FMS, but so are improving nutrition and focusing on spinal care.  After all, didn’t God give you a system in the body that will heal itself, if the stuff that isn’t supposed to be there will just get out of the way and let it do its job?!

The Fibromyalgia Fact Sheet even lists chiropractic as one of the alternatives to help improve an FMS victim’s quality of life, since “increasing attention is being devoted to the central nervous system as the underlying mechanism of FMS.”  Take note: ”Increasing rest, pacing activities, reducing stress, practicing relaxation and improving nutrition can help minimize symptoms and improve quality of life.” (National Fibromyalgia Association)

Again, we’re back to focusing on 5 simple items to change your quality of life:  attitude, spine/nerve system health, nutrition, exercise, and toxins.

Maybe this week, as we're spotlighting toxicity, we need to look at what we’re putting in our bodies, and make sure it’s not toxic.  If we’ve had a history of taking medications, having vaccinations, living with mercury fillings in our teeth, cleaning with chemicals, eating unhealthy fats and sugars, and living in toxic environments, then we should figure out a way to rid our bodies of the toxins we’re continually taking in and the toxins already stored there.  Find a detox something like Daily Detox and allow your body to function like it’s supposed to!

FMS is serious business, and it needs to be addressed.  I’ve witnessed the depression that accompanies FMS, and I can believe the suicide rates are higher among FMS sufferers. (CDC)  Please, please, please do not give up hope!

Yes, granted, there are medications out there.  Doctors don’t know what else to do, so they help to mask some of the symptoms with pain medications and others.  However, after a while, the body can adapt and then the symptoms will increase again, even with the medications.  Plus, the medications are increasing the toxicity of the body.

So, why not try something else?  What can it hurt?  If you need more information, go back through this Mick’s up Life, and read up on the 5 things I’ve emphasized for living as a healthy family.  Think about it:  You’ve tried everything else.  Why not this?  Then you can give all the glory to the God who made you in such a way that your body can heal itself!  Just think of it!  Amazing!

“But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
may your salvation, God, protect me.

I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving. “

Psalm 69:29-30 (NIV)

 

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Mick's Mix of Information on Chiropractic

What's your view of chiropractic?  Does the word scare you?  Have you visited a chiropractor's office before?  Are you one of us who cannot live without the chiropractic adjustments?

 www.coordinatedhealth.com/

There are many benefits of undergoing chiropractic care, and it's not just for adults who are feeling old and rickety.  It's for the entire family:  from newborns to the elderly.  Check out these links for Benefits of Chiropractic and Regular Chiropractic Care and Advantages of Chiropractic.

During this time of sniffles this week, it's good to consider the importance of chiropractic care.  For information on the correlation between chiropractic care and the immune system, visit the blog post Mick's up on Your Immune System

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and the cause and prevention of disease. "
-Thomas Edison

B.J. Palmer, when suggesting they start a school for chiropractic, convinced his father D.D. Palmer that "they alone could not hope to adjust all the sick people in the world."  Quote from time at :40-:50 in the video BJ Palmer Adjusting in 1924

This article is good to reference again for information about D.D. Palmer and B.J. Palmer in Chiropractic History.


“Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."  Jeremiah 33:6 (NIV)
 

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