Alpha Lipoic Acid has been, literally, a Godsend to me in getting my health back and freedom from pain, tingling and numbness. Back in 2011 when I decided it was time to take back my health, I prayed and talked to God pretty much 24/7 asking for Him to show me what I needed to do to get my health back. If you've read any of my blog posts then you know that He started revealing to me what foods to eat that would nourish my body and what "foods" to stay away from that were destroying my body. Well, during this time I also kept hearing "alpha lipoic acid" "alpha lipoic acid". I would hear it as I was driving down the road, as I was trying to go to sleep, it was the first thing that came into my mind as I awoke every morning. After a 2 or 3 weeks of this, I told my husband one day "I think God wants me to take Alpha Lipoic Acid". Kevin asked me what it was and I said "I don't know. I've never heard of it." So, I began to research alpha lipoic acid. And WOW! As I kept finding out more about this incredible antioxidant, I began to realize why God was telling me to take it. And right about now, some of you think I have lost my mind, but I know that others of you understand exactly what I'm talking about.
So, let me tell you about Alpha Lipoic Acid. It is a naturally occurring compound that's made in the body, but when you're system is out of whack, your body can not produce enough of it to help you. ALA is an antioxidant & is one of the most potent of all antioxidants because it is soluble in both water and fat. This unique ability to dissolve in both fat and water means that ALA has more "free range" to scrub your body for cell damaging free radicals. Here's just a few of the benefits of ALA:
* Converts glucose to energy
* Lowers blood sugar
* Lowers blood pressure
* Detoxes and protects the liver
* REPAIRS DAMAGED NERVES
Europeans have been using ALA for years to provide relief from the pain, burning, tingling and numbness caused by neuropathy. Studies show that ALA aids in stopping or slowing the damage done by a variety of health conditions including HIV and liver disease.
Research also shows that ALA helps mend damage caused by strokes and even to help slow down the process of Alzheimer's. It's ability to facilitate the regeneration of nerve cells has some very promising implications in brain and nerve trauma treatment.
ALA supports healthy skin as well. It keeps your skin young and resilient.
The American Cancer Society says that "ALA may inhibit genes that trigger cancer cells to grow and some recommend it as a component of an alternative anti-cancer regimen or as a complementary therapy to prevent or relieve some side effects of conventional cancer treatments. Researchers have begun to look at whether ALA can help prevent nerve damage from the use of chemotherapy drugs."
ALA is found in red meats, organ meats, spinach and broccoli, but you would have to eat a ton of these foods every day to get what your body needs. So supplementation of ALA is crucial to stay healthy.
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/pharmacologicalandbiologicaltreatment/lipoic-acid
http://www.webmd.com/diet/alpha-lipoic-acid-ala
ALA has helped me tremendously with the pain, numbness & tingling from neuropathy and carpal tunnel.
Blessings to you all,
Lori
Monday, October 21, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
WHOLE GRAIN PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE WITH COCONUT SUGAR
My husband's appetite is back! The last 4 years he has not had much of an appetite. He said nothing tasted good to him and of course, being on dialysis, he didn't feel real good most of the time. Before he got sick, he had a huge appetite. And he has always had an enormous sweet tooth. One of his favorite cakes is Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I used to make it with Bisquick and lots of brown sugar. So, since we have cut back on processed foods and are trying to eat more nutritiously, I decided to try to make a more nutritious Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
First step was NO Bisquick. Then had to replace the brown sugar for a more nutritious option. I've posted several recipes using coconut palm sugar. My family loves it! And it is a good feeling to know that I am feeding them a sweet treat that is actually nutritious and not going to harm them. Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index so it is safe for diabetics. It is high in several minerals including potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Here is a link to a couple of good articles on coconut sugar. http://www.naturalnews.com/030120_coconut_sugar_sweetener.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/280219-healing-benefits-of-coconut-palm-sugar/
WHOLE GRAIN PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
1 - 15 1/4 ounce can crushed or sliced pineapple, drained
BATTER
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup organic coconut palm sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pineapple juice (from the crushed pineapple)
1 cup organic oat flour
1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch round baking pan; heat in oven until melted. Remove pan from oven and tilt pan to coat bottom and sides with butter.
2. Mix coconut sugar, nutmeg & cinnamon together and sprinkle onto bottom of buttered pan.
3. Spread pineapple over sugar mixture.
4. For batter - in a large bowl, beat butter and coconut sugar until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and pineapple juice.
5. In another bowl, whisk flours, baking powder and salt together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. I do it in thirds.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
I put 4 maraschino cherries on the cake for Kevin. He loves them, but he doesn't get them very often anymore. Now that we know about HFCS and red dye! Scary!
I know I don't take good pictures. Sorry. You can tell it doesn't look like your traditional pineapple upside down cake which is yellow or white. We have to get past that idea that white food is pretty. Most white food is not healthy. Whole grains have color and texture.
VARIATIONS:
You can replace one of the flours for white flour if you don't like the texture of whole grain flours. But, please, use organic unbleached white flour. At least it isn't loaded with chemicals like regular flour.
I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband did!
Blessings to you all,
Lori
First step was NO Bisquick. Then had to replace the brown sugar for a more nutritious option. I've posted several recipes using coconut palm sugar. My family loves it! And it is a good feeling to know that I am feeding them a sweet treat that is actually nutritious and not going to harm them. Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index so it is safe for diabetics. It is high in several minerals including potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Here is a link to a couple of good articles on coconut sugar. http://www.naturalnews.com/030120_coconut_sugar_sweetener.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/280219-healing-benefits-of-coconut-palm-sugar/
WHOLE GRAIN PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
1 - 15 1/4 ounce can crushed or sliced pineapple, drained
BATTER
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup organic coconut palm sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pineapple juice (from the crushed pineapple)
1 cup organic oat flour
1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch round baking pan; heat in oven until melted. Remove pan from oven and tilt pan to coat bottom and sides with butter.
2. Mix coconut sugar, nutmeg & cinnamon together and sprinkle onto bottom of buttered pan.
3. Spread pineapple over sugar mixture.
4. For batter - in a large bowl, beat butter and coconut sugar until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and pineapple juice.
5. In another bowl, whisk flours, baking powder and salt together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. I do it in thirds.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
I put 4 maraschino cherries on the cake for Kevin. He loves them, but he doesn't get them very often anymore. Now that we know about HFCS and red dye! Scary!
I know I don't take good pictures. Sorry. You can tell it doesn't look like your traditional pineapple upside down cake which is yellow or white. We have to get past that idea that white food is pretty. Most white food is not healthy. Whole grains have color and texture.
 |
| Pineapple upside down cake |
VARIATIONS:
You can replace one of the flours for white flour if you don't like the texture of whole grain flours. But, please, use organic unbleached white flour. At least it isn't loaded with chemicals like regular flour.
I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband did!
Blessings to you all,
Lori
Saturday, September 21, 2013
THE INCREDIBLE GIFT OF LIFE
It has been a wild 2 months, but we have seen God move mountains and have felt His presence in a very special way. So, here's our transplant story:
We received our first transplant call on Memorial Day weekend. Most transplants happen on holiday weekends, especially during summer holidays because of drinking and driving, boating accidents, etc. The hospital actually called us a few days before July 4th and told us to not go too far and keep close to the phone in case a kidney became available. Kevin even told his family that he couldn't go on their annual fishing/camping trip this year because he was expecting a kidney. July 4th came and went and no phone call. So we went on with dialysis as usual. Then on Sunday morning, July 14, 2013 we had our Bibles in our hands and getting ready to walk out the door for church when the phone rang. We looked at each other and smiled. We knew this was it. So I called the church and my dear friend, Teri, answered the phone. I told her we weren't going to make it today because we were going to get a new kidney.
Kevin, Grant & I packed our bags quickly and took off for Oklahoma City. When we got to OU Medical they were waiting for us. They got Kevin in a room quickly and started working on all of the testing they have to do to make sure he is healthy enough for a transplant and if he is a good enough match for this particular kidney. The surgery happened on Monday, July 15 around 7:00 pm. Dr. Sebastian came and talked to Kevin's Mom, Dad & I around 1:00 a.m. or so and told us that the surgery went well. They moved him into ICU a little after 3:00 a.m. I could not believe how good he looked already! The nurse told us that Kevin was making jokes the whole time. She said he sure is funny. Yep, that's my hubby. He was in ICU 2 days where he was blessed to have some of the most amazing nurses. We got so attached to everyone there. Almost ALL of the staff, nurses, assistants, doctors, housekeeping, etc. at OU Medical are professional & knowledgeable, but also very compassionate. I'm not much on doctors or hospitals, but they really go above and beyond at OU Medical. Dr. Sebastian is the transplant surgeon. We LOVE this man! It was obvious the first time we met him that God called him to perform transplant operations. What a gift this precious man is to the State of Oklahoma.
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| His Dad stayed all week |
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| Dr wrote Kevin speaks Redneck |
Every nurse, doctor and medical staff member kept telling us all that day that this was a "beautiful very healthy" kidney. We felt so blessed to receive such an amazing gift, but at the same time, so sad that another family was dealing with losing a loved one. All that we know is that the donor was a young mother and that it was very unexpected. My heart breaks for her children, family and friends. I just have a feeling that she was a wonderful loving person. We thank God every day for this incredible gift and ask God to comfort her family and friends and to bless them and to let them know somehow how thankful we are. I pray that we never take this beautiful kidney for granted and always remember the price that was paid in order for Kevin to be healthy again.
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| READY to go home |
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| Leaving hospital |
Kevin is doing fantastic! He went back to work 6 weeks after the surgery. His appetite is back and so is his sweet tooth. While on dialysis his phosphorus was always very high so he could not have much ice cream. HE LOVES ICE CREAM! That was probably one of the hardest things for him to do without. After the transplant, his phosphorus was low so the doctor told him to eat more dairy. So he started eating ice cream every day. Some days he was eating 3 bowls a day! He is on a lot of prescriptions and has to do bloodwork every week to monitor all of his levels. But, they have already cut way back on his medicine. We are praying and believing that he will be the healthiest transplant patient there has ever been.
We got all of the dialysis and medical equipment out of our house. Our house is no longer a dialysis clinic. Praise God! For 3 years medical equipment has taken over our home. It filled one bedroom (Cole's old bedroom), part of the dining room and living room. Plus Kevin kept some supplies at his work. We do not miss that at all!
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| Dialysis water, filters, etc. |
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| Dialysis machine |
God has truly blessed us with some of the most amazing friends, church family and co-workers. We could not have made it the last 3 1/2 years without the Willinghams, Beanes, Twyfords, our entire church family, Kevin's co-workers and my co-workers. We are incredibly blessed to have all of these people in our lives.
Love & blessings to all,
Lori
Monday, July 8, 2013
MY NEW LUNCH OBSESSION AND KNOW YOUR CHICKEN
As you know I try to eat as clean as possible. Being a busy working Mom & living in a small town, it is nearly impossible to eat 100% clean. I eat at least 80-85% clean. The absolute biggest chemical I REFUSE to eat is high fructose corn syrup. I am ashamed of our government for allowing HFCS to be in so many "foods" in the U.S. It is banned from most countries. Cole & Tiffany are still in Venezuala. They said that they have read the labels on the foods there and can not find HFCS in ANYTHING! But, Americans like to think that they are so much smarter than people in other countries. Believing that the government, USDA and FDA have your best interest in mind is NOT smart. It is all about money. If they really wanted what was best for Americans, they would do like other countries have done and ban HFCS, aspartame and hormones & antibiotics in milk to name a few.
This beautiful nutritious salad comes with Poppy Seed Dressing which I do not eat. The first ingredient in the dressing is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! Why do they have to do that?! I bring my own dressing from home to put on my salad.
Educate yourself, friends. Know what you are putting in your body and what you are feeding your children. God wants us to take good care of our bodies. He put food on the earth to nourish our bodies. Eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs (from free range chickens) and wild game and fish. If the ingredient list is a mile long and/or you can not pronounce most of the ingredients, don't buy it. There are better choices out there. If we stop buying the nasty stuff and buy more of the good stuff, food companies will get the message.
Blessings to all,
Lori
I have told you before how much I love Braum's. I'm not even an ice cream lover, so that is not why I love it so much. Braum's takes pride in the fact that they do not add hormones and antibiotics to their cows therefore NONE of their dairy products contain those nasty things. I buy as much groceries as I can at Braum's. I realize it is not organic, but I believe it is much better quality than other brands and it is cheaper than most brands, probably because there is no middle man. It goes straight from the Braum's farm to Braum's stores. Braum's has a new Chicken Strawberry Salad that I am obsessed with. It has chicken (grilled or crispy), strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, almonds, carrots, spinach and romaine. I have been eating this for lunch at least twice a week. It is only $5 & is a delicious & nutritious lunch. I drink a large lime water with it. Braum's employees squeeze the lime juice into the water instead of just tossing a lime in it. http://www.braums.com/about-us/
I get really freaked out over fast food chicken. Really I freak out over some restaurant chicken also. Chicken can be one of the most processed, chemically laiden foods their is. Educate yourself. Know what you are eating. Braum's uses REAL chicken. It's not processed chicken product like so many restaurants use. For instance Subway's chicken is very little chicken. It is mostly chemicals and most of their breads have either HFCS or corn syrup along with a long list of chemicals. And Subway has Americans believing that it is one of the healthiest places you can eat. That is false advertising in my book. They should have to disclose that their "meats" and breads are nothing but chemicals. Here's a link to their ingredient list which looks like a horror movie to me.
We do not have a Chick-fil-A where I live. I wish we did. They only serve REAL chicken. I was appalled to learn that all of KFC's chicken has MSG! Really?! MSG causes migraines for many people and creates inflammation in the body.
Here is a link to Chick-fil-A talking about the chicken they use.
Here is a picture of my yummy Braum's salad.
This beautiful nutritious salad comes with Poppy Seed Dressing which I do not eat. The first ingredient in the dressing is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! Why do they have to do that?! I bring my own dressing from home to put on my salad.
Educate yourself, friends. Know what you are putting in your body and what you are feeding your children. God wants us to take good care of our bodies. He put food on the earth to nourish our bodies. Eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs (from free range chickens) and wild game and fish. If the ingredient list is a mile long and/or you can not pronounce most of the ingredients, don't buy it. There are better choices out there. If we stop buying the nasty stuff and buy more of the good stuff, food companies will get the message.
Blessings to all,
Lori
Saturday, June 22, 2013
MI VIDA LOCA (MY CRAZY LIFE)
I am so sorry that I haven't blogged much lately. We have had a crazy few months. Here is a sampling of what's been happening in our household:
Our teenage son has been going through a very rebellious season. You name it & we have probably lived it with him the last few months. His poor choices have had an extremely negative impact on his education, our sanity & our bank account. He is doing much better now. We pray it continues. He turned 18 yesterday so we are hoping it's not "woo hoo I'm 18. I can do what I want" but instead "I'm 18. I better get my act together because I can pay consequences as an adult".
Our oldest son graduated from college in May and will begin working on his Master's Degree this Fall. He & his wife are on a mission trip in Venezuala. They will be there until the end of July. Then they will go to Colombia to visit her grandparents. They will not be back in Oklahoma until mid-August.
Kevin's bloodwork has been so good the last few months (since he's been taking Plexus) that his doctor said he could try doing dialysis just 5 days a week instead of 6. We have been doing that for a month now & he is feeling great. It's so nice to have an extra day. With that extra day off we have been able to go to church more & hang out with friends.
Memorial weekend we had a going away party for Cole & Tiffany on Saturday. They spent the night with us. They were speaking at a church in a small town outside Durant on Sunday morning. So we were going to go to church with them and have lunch with her parents. Cole & Tiffany left for Venezuala Tuesday after Memorial Day so that was our last opportunity to see them before they left. On our way to church Sunday morning we get a phone call from OU Medical that they have a possible kidney for Kevin and we need to get there as soon as we can. At this point we are past Madill almost to Lake Texoma. We drop Cole & Tiffany off in Durant, drive back to Lone Grove, pack our bags and head to OKC.
We found out that Kevin was second on the list for O type blood. There was a sweet lady from Enid that was first. She got a kidney and is doing well. The day was full of testing. They have to make sure the recipient is healthy enough to receive the kidney and do the cross matching to make sure they are compatible. Kevin had a chest cold the week before and they found a little congestion in his lung so we were sent home without a kidney. We did find out that an older gentleman that is not in as good health as Kevin got the other kidney and he is doing well. God knows better than we do. Bad news - because of the congestion he is now NON ACTIVE on the list. So even if the perfect kidney became available, he could not receive it. He had chest xrays yesterday and if they show his lungs are clear, he will be made active again. Good news - once he is active again, he will now be first on the list for type O blood. We learned so much that day about transplants, so it was a great learning experience. We learned that holiday weekends are the busiest time for transplants because there are more accidents.
Honestly, I've been a little too stressed to try new recipes or do much research. Hopefully things will calm down and I will be able to do more cooking and share with you soon. I really want to do a post on Omega 3 Fatty acids. If there is any topic you would like for me to research and blog about or any favorite recipes that you would like me to try to make cleaner and more nutritious, let me know.
Life is crazy! Heaven is looking sweeter all the time. Even when our lives our spinning out of control, God is always there and we always have something to be thankful for. Our sweet dogs, Hank & Lucy, have helped us through all this. Dogs love unconditionally. They sense when you are feeling down and they are so great at just loving you & sitting quietly with you. And Plexus has been a wonderful thing for us to focus on. We are so thankful that God sent Plexus to us to help with our health and our finances. And we have some of the most amazing friends and prayer warriors anyone could ask for.
We certainly appreciate your prayers. Have a blessed and safe summer.
Lori
Our teenage son has been going through a very rebellious season. You name it & we have probably lived it with him the last few months. His poor choices have had an extremely negative impact on his education, our sanity & our bank account. He is doing much better now. We pray it continues. He turned 18 yesterday so we are hoping it's not "woo hoo I'm 18. I can do what I want" but instead "I'm 18. I better get my act together because I can pay consequences as an adult".
Our oldest son graduated from college in May and will begin working on his Master's Degree this Fall. He & his wife are on a mission trip in Venezuala. They will be there until the end of July. Then they will go to Colombia to visit her grandparents. They will not be back in Oklahoma until mid-August.
Kevin's bloodwork has been so good the last few months (since he's been taking Plexus) that his doctor said he could try doing dialysis just 5 days a week instead of 6. We have been doing that for a month now & he is feeling great. It's so nice to have an extra day. With that extra day off we have been able to go to church more & hang out with friends.
Memorial weekend we had a going away party for Cole & Tiffany on Saturday. They spent the night with us. They were speaking at a church in a small town outside Durant on Sunday morning. So we were going to go to church with them and have lunch with her parents. Cole & Tiffany left for Venezuala Tuesday after Memorial Day so that was our last opportunity to see them before they left. On our way to church Sunday morning we get a phone call from OU Medical that they have a possible kidney for Kevin and we need to get there as soon as we can. At this point we are past Madill almost to Lake Texoma. We drop Cole & Tiffany off in Durant, drive back to Lone Grove, pack our bags and head to OKC.
We found out that Kevin was second on the list for O type blood. There was a sweet lady from Enid that was first. She got a kidney and is doing well. The day was full of testing. They have to make sure the recipient is healthy enough to receive the kidney and do the cross matching to make sure they are compatible. Kevin had a chest cold the week before and they found a little congestion in his lung so we were sent home without a kidney. We did find out that an older gentleman that is not in as good health as Kevin got the other kidney and he is doing well. God knows better than we do. Bad news - because of the congestion he is now NON ACTIVE on the list. So even if the perfect kidney became available, he could not receive it. He had chest xrays yesterday and if they show his lungs are clear, he will be made active again. Good news - once he is active again, he will now be first on the list for type O blood. We learned so much that day about transplants, so it was a great learning experience. We learned that holiday weekends are the busiest time for transplants because there are more accidents.
Honestly, I've been a little too stressed to try new recipes or do much research. Hopefully things will calm down and I will be able to do more cooking and share with you soon. I really want to do a post on Omega 3 Fatty acids. If there is any topic you would like for me to research and blog about or any favorite recipes that you would like me to try to make cleaner and more nutritious, let me know.
Life is crazy! Heaven is looking sweeter all the time. Even when our lives our spinning out of control, God is always there and we always have something to be thankful for. Our sweet dogs, Hank & Lucy, have helped us through all this. Dogs love unconditionally. They sense when you are feeling down and they are so great at just loving you & sitting quietly with you. And Plexus has been a wonderful thing for us to focus on. We are so thankful that God sent Plexus to us to help with our health and our finances. And we have some of the most amazing friends and prayer warriors anyone could ask for.
We certainly appreciate your prayers. Have a blessed and safe summer.
Lori
Thursday, April 11, 2013
WHOLE GRAIN BANANA MUFFINS
I made these banana muffins a couple of weeks ago and they were a huge hit in my house and my office. This recipe can be made into muffins or bread.
TIP - Whole grain flours are not as moist as overly processed bleached white flour, so adding Greek yogurt to the mixture helps make baked goods moist and delicious. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of oil or butter which I changed to 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.
WHOLE GRAIN BANANA MUFFINS
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
5-6 bananas, mashed
1 cup coconut sugar (or 1/2 cup Truvia or 1 cup brown sugar)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or use paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes.
I hope your friends and family enjoy them as much as mine did.
I saw this on Facebook the other day and loved it -
"You are what you eat, so your food should not be fast, cheap, easy and fake."
Pretty much sums it up. Remember to try to eat more of the foods that God made and less of the junk that man made. Your body will thank you for it.
Blessings to you all,
Lori
TIP - Whole grain flours are not as moist as overly processed bleached white flour, so adding Greek yogurt to the mixture helps make baked goods moist and delicious. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of oil or butter which I changed to 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.
WHOLE GRAIN BANANA MUFFINS
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
5-6 bananas, mashed
1 cup coconut sugar (or 1/2 cup Truvia or 1 cup brown sugar)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or use paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes.
I hope your friends and family enjoy them as much as mine did.
I saw this on Facebook the other day and loved it -
"You are what you eat, so your food should not be fast, cheap, easy and fake."
Pretty much sums it up. Remember to try to eat more of the foods that God made and less of the junk that man made. Your body will thank you for it.
Blessings to you all,
Lori
Saturday, March 23, 2013
EGGS - FACTS VS FICTION
I have never liked eating eggs. I didn't eat them at all until I was in my twenties, then only scrambled and well done. However, since I've been on this journey to get my health back, I have become a huge fan of eggs. I still will only eat them scrambled. I just don't like the texture of fried or boiled eggs. But, since I found out how many nutrients are in eggs and that they are very anti inflammatory, I eat a scrambled egg almost every morning. Eggs have gotten a bad rap just like fats have. There are bad fats, but there are so many good fats that your body and your brain, in particular, need. A large egg is only 70 calories, yolk and all. Stop being afraid of eggs, people! They are nutritional powerhouses that nourish your body and make you strong.
There are good eggs and bad eggs. Those eggs sitting on the grocery store shelf that are so much cheaper than all the others are BAD. They are not worth saving a few cents for. The average grocery store egg is 3-6 weeks old. Those eggs come from hens that are kept in cages, not allowed to move, covered in their own filth, given antibiotics and hormones and the poor hens are stressed out. They are fed a diet of GMO soy and corn feed. Please please please do not feed those nasty eggs to your family. If I run out of farm fresh eggs, the only ones I will buy is organic free range or Land O Lakes with extra Omega 3's. The Land O Lakes with extra Omega 3's are from chickens that are fed flaxseed.
We are blessed to have friends that share their fresh eggs with us. There is no comparison in a store bought egg versus a farm fresh egg. First of all, the store bought eggs have no color, whereas the fresh eggs are a beautiful yellow. Remember the more NATURAL color your food has, the more vitamins and nutrients you are getting. Farm fresh eggs have 2/3 more Vitamin A, 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2 times more Omega 3's, 3 times more Vitamin E, 7 times more beta carotene and 4-6 times more Vitamin D. Plus everyone knows that eggs are great source of protein. And EAT THE YOLK! There are valuable nutrients in the yolk that your body needs.
I cook my eggs in coconut oil to add even more health benefits. If you don't know about the great benefits of coconut oil, go to www.coconutoil.com and see for yourself. Coconut oil is another food that God created for us to eat in order to get vital nutrients that our bodies need. Some idiot in the 80's decided that coconut oil was bad and everyone believed him. I believe that God is the creator of our bodies and He created food for us to eat that would give us the nourishment that we need. I know I feel so much better when I eat REAL food that God created than I do when I eat fake "food" that man made in a science lab.
A couple of more great foods that God created for us is honey and cinnamon. The more I read about the benefits of honey and cinnamon, the more amazed I am. I have been trying to eat honey and cinnamon everyday. Buy local honey to get the most nutrition. Read the label. Honey flavored syrup is nothing but junk. Please use real honey. Sometimes I spread it on whole grain toast and eat with my egg for breakfast. Another favorite is to dip apple slices in a mixture of peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. YUMMY! That has been my lunch several times the last couple of weeks. It is very filling and satisfying.
http://benefitsofhoneyblog.com/health-benefits-of-honey-and-cinnamon
One of my favorite ways to make my scrambled eggs is with a handful of baby spinach and a little shredded parmesan cheese. Eaten with a piece of whole grain toast with honey and cinnamon is a great way to start the day.
You are what you eat and you are what the animals that you are eating ate.
Blessings & good health to you all,
Lori
There are good eggs and bad eggs. Those eggs sitting on the grocery store shelf that are so much cheaper than all the others are BAD. They are not worth saving a few cents for. The average grocery store egg is 3-6 weeks old. Those eggs come from hens that are kept in cages, not allowed to move, covered in their own filth, given antibiotics and hormones and the poor hens are stressed out. They are fed a diet of GMO soy and corn feed. Please please please do not feed those nasty eggs to your family. If I run out of farm fresh eggs, the only ones I will buy is organic free range or Land O Lakes with extra Omega 3's. The Land O Lakes with extra Omega 3's are from chickens that are fed flaxseed.
We are blessed to have friends that share their fresh eggs with us. There is no comparison in a store bought egg versus a farm fresh egg. First of all, the store bought eggs have no color, whereas the fresh eggs are a beautiful yellow. Remember the more NATURAL color your food has, the more vitamins and nutrients you are getting. Farm fresh eggs have 2/3 more Vitamin A, 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2 times more Omega 3's, 3 times more Vitamin E, 7 times more beta carotene and 4-6 times more Vitamin D. Plus everyone knows that eggs are great source of protein. And EAT THE YOLK! There are valuable nutrients in the yolk that your body needs.
I cook my eggs in coconut oil to add even more health benefits. If you don't know about the great benefits of coconut oil, go to www.coconutoil.com and see for yourself. Coconut oil is another food that God created for us to eat in order to get vital nutrients that our bodies need. Some idiot in the 80's decided that coconut oil was bad and everyone believed him. I believe that God is the creator of our bodies and He created food for us to eat that would give us the nourishment that we need. I know I feel so much better when I eat REAL food that God created than I do when I eat fake "food" that man made in a science lab.
A couple of more great foods that God created for us is honey and cinnamon. The more I read about the benefits of honey and cinnamon, the more amazed I am. I have been trying to eat honey and cinnamon everyday. Buy local honey to get the most nutrition. Read the label. Honey flavored syrup is nothing but junk. Please use real honey. Sometimes I spread it on whole grain toast and eat with my egg for breakfast. Another favorite is to dip apple slices in a mixture of peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. YUMMY! That has been my lunch several times the last couple of weeks. It is very filling and satisfying.
http://benefitsofhoneyblog.com/health-benefits-of-honey-and-cinnamon
You are what you eat and you are what the animals that you are eating ate.
Blessings & good health to you all,
Lori
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