posted at God Craft Life -healing

Just wanted to link up to my post on my spiritual healing journey with God

Beyond the Woods-Emotional Healing and the Power of God
on God Craft Life.

Also linked up to Weekend Whatever over at Creative Christian Mama

Coconut milk hair wash/honey-coconut face mask- week 2 update

I am liking the hair wash more now that I diluted it a little. I am however having a great deal of frizzy trouble with the hot humid weather. Which is typical for me. Summer is the worst for my type of hair.
What I have done is use shea butter to smooth my hair down. It works!
Just put a quarter sized dollop of pure shea butter in the palm of your hands and rub hands together to melt and smooth over hair.

The face mask using the left over coconut pulp mixed with honey and tea tree oil is just awesome. I didn't get any blemishes which I usually do certain times of the month.  I was just amazed.

Woo HOO!

Snack Time! Coconut Oil Refrigerator Fudge revisited

 This week I am linking up with Creative Chritsian Mama at her Whatever Weekend Link-up


I decided to add blackstrap molasses to my coconut oil refrigerator fudge

The original recipe was

2 TBSP of cocoa powder
1 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP  peanut butter or other nut butter
1/4 Cup coconut oil
1/4 Cup unsweetened coconut flakes

makes about 6 squares

this time I added
1 tsp of blackstrap molasses
4 medjool dates chopped
You can add peanuts or other nuts or seeds to your liking

 This makes a slightly thick and gooey bar. But I like the taste difference with the molasses

This must remain refrigerated and best eaten quickly or it gets a little messy on a hot day. As you can probably see in the picture it started to get a little melty while I was trying to change the light setting on my phone's camera. Its a sweltering day today.

In case you were wondering what is that black and white object in the background? Well that is Betsy the moo cow tea kettle. Someone was giving it away at work and I snatched it up.

Meal Planning

Here we go some real food recipes worth posting.

We have the appetizer, dinner, and desert. These pictures are making my mouth water.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Crock Pot beef Carnitas Tacos

GF Chocolate Cookies

Stuffed Spiced Acorn Squash GF

Stuffed Spiced Acorn Squash GF

Coconut/Honey Skincare Recipe. Part two

This week I am linking up with Creative Christian Mama at her Whatever Weekend link up

I tried the coconut milk hair wash yesterday and found it a little too greasy after it dried. I decided to add more aloe vera to the mix and a little water and will see how it is tomorrow. Having naturally dry hair I think it was almost right but a little tweaking will probably do the trick. If you have naturally greasy hair this probably wouldn't be the right hair cleansing method to try.
The positive is that my scalp is dandruff free!!!!!

As for my skin, I also thought the coconut pulp (which can be saved from making coconut milk), and honey mix was pretty good but added more honey to it and tried it today. My skin is smooth but a little less oily from the coconut.

The mixture looks a lot like applesauce. I decided to put part of it in the freezer to keep for another time.

So here is the recipe

Approx. 1/4 cup left over coconut pulp from making coconut milk
10 drops of tea tree oil
3 to 4 Tbsp of manuka or raw honey.

Apply to face with tips of fingers- just note a little bit goes a long way and the coconut pulp can be a bit messy.
Leave on your face for approx. 10 min.
Wash of with warm water.

I am going to have to try the ice cube tray trick for the hair wash and maybe the face mask too. That way you only pop out one small portion at a time and let it melt to use for the day.

Ph Balanced Coconut Milk Hair Cleansing Method/skin care tip too

I am always looking for good hair cleaning methods. I have tried the baking soda/water mixture as a cleanser and ACV rinse and found it dries my hair and scalp too much. I have tried aloe vera mixed in with the ACV and that helps some. I have also tried just honey/water mixture as a cleanser and ACV/aloe mix as a rinse and it still seems to dry my hair and scalp. I had a long time ago tried coconut milk, in a can and liked the softness of my hair afterward but my scalp itched like crazy. Now that I am making my own coconut milk I think I may try this again.


Update: Tried it. I made a coconut concoction with coconut flakes and aloe vera juice. This makes at least two or three shampoos worth.

1/2 c unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup of aloe vera juice
5 or more drops of melaleuca oil (tea tree oil)

 I blended all three ingredients together in the blender, and strained the pulp out (don't throw out the pulp!). poured the "milk" in a glass jar. I used about a third of the mixture to wash my hair and am waiting for my hair to dry to see how it feels. It seems softer and less dry.

What I did with the pulp:
I set aside the pulp and added honey and a few more drops of tea tree oil to use as a facial mask. My face feels so smooth. The oil from the coconut flakes really is great as a moisturizer. Tea tree oil is great for acne and honey is a great moisturizer as well. All three ingredients are antibacterial.

Here is the pin of the week

Coconut milk/aloe vera hair wash. Read original source post here

From Thankyourbody.com

Finally added a links for healthy living page!

Check out the tabs at the top. I added a links page to make things easier to find.

Many of the links are links I mentioned in my earlier posts and I will be adding more links as I go along, I am sure.

Hope these are helpful for those interested in taking charge of their health

Healthy snacks

So yeah, I have been eating things I shouldn't and yup my gut is not happy.

One of the things I am finding with this new job is that I tend to get so busy I don't eat lunch. Not good because I end up exhausted and not thinking clearly.

I knew this job could be like that but I need to bring snacks with me to carry along where ever I go.

One idea for snacks is to buy some grass fed gelatin and make some gelatin snacks. Also make my own fruit leather. I've seen some good recipes online.

From DIYnatural.com

mango gummy treats
DIY Fruit leather

I am so anxious to go back to eating better. I cant wait to do my shopping this weekend.

Linky Post -The sequel

Here are some more resources that may be of interest and helpful for healthy living

Online shopping resources
Village Green Network

Mountain Rose Herbs
Online shopping for herbs, spices, teas

Vitacost
Online discounted shopping resource

coupon sites
Organic Deals

Mambo Sprouts

Common kindness
couponing for charity

The Whole Deal
Whole Foods Market coupons

Epic fail/confession

Ok so I was doing really well, or so I thought with this way of eating, but could never quite get my sugar levels to stabilize. It would drop in no time even though I was eating what seemed like plenty of food. What was the problem? Apparently I am not consuming enough healthy fats.
Since I have tried cut out the carbs my body needs something else to run on. I am uncertain what amount of fats would suffice. So this whole week was a bust. I ate gluten free buns and bagels made with rice flour. I need some form of energy to get me through the week especially with the new management position I am in. I am constantly on the run.
I have also read some on soaking or sprouting grains and seeds to reduce the amount of phytic acid and oxalates in them to make them easier to digest and will have to explore that further.
So until payday on Friday I will be eating carbs. Then I will be able to do a good shopping to try to start again. My biggest issue is having time to prepare the amount of foods I need to get through the week. Cultured foods take time, preparing enough food for the week takes time and the only day I have is Saturday to do any of this. I have looked at online resources for cultured food but it is very costly.
Well I expected setbacks. I expected there would be times like this before I even started and I think that is the reason that I don't feel overwhelmed or feel like giving up.
I want to be healthy and I believe God lead me to this eating choice. I will have times of setbacks and need to just work through it, and be forgiving toward myself if I occasionally don't adhere to it all. Try, try again.

Linky post- fermentation and healing your gut, health

Wellness Mama article on the benefits of fermented food

Dr. Mercola Fermenting article

Delicious Obsessions is a great website for health and healing your gut info/how-to's

Cultures for Health- resource for info and place to buy cultures for cheese, yogurt, kumbacha, kefir etc...

Herbs & Oils World- Lots of good ideas for health and diy natural body care products

Fermenting veggies

I just successfully lacto fermented my first batch of veggies. I used cabbage carrots and beets and made an interesting sauerkraut.

I am currently fermenting a ginger soda starter. using just filtered water, ginger, and sugar. I really hope it comes out. I think both I and my husband would like this.

I did a second batch of yogurt and have been finding coupons for organic foods. I am excited to finally be on top of my health. Not to mention the independence I feel being able to do this for myself and not have to depend on already made, processed, refined and otherwise adulterated food. There is a certain feeling of empowerment doing this.

I wanted to add some of the resources I am getting these DIY ideas. I will make an official links page hopefully Friday.

For now here is my link to my pinterest board that has some of the resources and recipies.

Making your own- progress

I went to my favorite thrift store last weekend. Lo and behold there was a yogurt maker and crock pot sitting right next to each other on the shelf. Both were in awesome condition. They looked barely used. I have wanted a nice crock pot and a yogurt maker for so long. I was so excited when I got them home.

I decided to try the crock pot first and made curried chicken with cabbage. It came out ok but I didn't put enough salt in it. I used Himalayan pink salt.

Then I made some coconut milk yogurt, actually it was half regular milk and half coconut milk. It came out good. I am thrilled to be able to make  something from scratch like this. I will try and see if I can make it with just coconut milk next batch.

I have been really trying to get more probiotics in my diet. I have discovered kefir milk, and been buying probiotic drinks. I eventually want to start making my own kefir milk and kefir water. Maybe some day even kombucha.

I feel empowered to be able to have some sort of control over my health and am grateful to God for leading me to finding so many wonderful resources.

started on the right foot.

Hubby, son and I went out to the park and laid out in the sun for a while today. We got our Vitamin D going on! I decided to take my shoes off and kept my feet on the grass. I had just read an interesting article on Grounding (something to do with electrons from the earths surface having an impact on health).. I don't know if its true but what the heck it cant hurt to try . Of course the ants took great interest in my feet. LOL


So today I decided to buy sprouts and salad mix. I made myself a salad with it and made a dressing of my own creation.
I used olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Himalayan pink salt
garlic powder
onion powder

I had milk kefir after and actually felt quite satisfied for the rest of the afternoon.

Dinner was a bunless hamburger with avacado, salsa, and fries. I haven't given up potatoes completely.

Then I made coconut oil chocolate with peanuts as a little snack. I used coconut palm sugar and a little bit if honey for sweetness.

I used for the chocolate itself:

2 Tbsps of coconut oil
1 Tbsp of peanut butter
1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp of coconut flour

 added after
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Peanuts

Mix all ingredients. Mix in roasted peanuts and spread it on wax paper. Place in freezer for 10 to 15 min

Warning: the chocolate will melt in warm temperatures.

I feel very satisfied with today's efforts. I just need to keep this up.

So here I am starting this journey

I have had problems with fatigue, I have a gluten alergy, along with some weird condition called urticaria dermographism. Let's just say I am tired of being sick and tired.

So I have been researching different diet ideas to try to live a healthier life. I guess I have settled somewhere between Paleo and GAPS type diets.

The common element in many of the diets I have looked into is eating real food; geting plenty of probiotics through various sources; staying away from grains, refined processed sugar, and refined processed salt, and buying meats that are chemical and hormone free.

Real food means anything that is not pre-packaged and  processed with all kinds of added preservatives, dyes, chemicals that you can't pronounce, etc... It means buying organic, free range, grass fed. As close to pure as you can get. As close to what God created our bodies to digest before we decided we were gods and tried to create food things our bodies were never meant to process.

I have tried and failed at a couple of previous attempts to eat differently. I start off excited and do good for a bit and then I get tired and find what ever is quick and easy. I think that is the general problem for most people. Once you go for the quick and easy that is when you re-awaken the carb monster in your belly, and find yourself eating a whole bag of chips in one sitting. Yes, I did that. I admit it. That and the chocolate muffins within a very short time. The carb monster is an unrelenting thing once it awakens and it shows no mercy.

So now I am determined to make this work. I need to change my life. I need to once and for all get my gut in gear. Get my health in order. I need to do this for me.

I went out and bought organic produce today; I also bought milk kefir - something packed with probiotics; and yogurt. I made bone broth from chicken I bought and added probiotics.
 I am excited to do this and feel good about it this time. I think the last time I was overwhelmed but now after so much reading up, I am more than ready.

I also discovered some helpful coupon sites that cater to organic food. I joined the website for my local health food store to receive coupons there. So hopefully I will be able to keep costs down some.

My goals are to learn to make fermented vegetables, kefir, and kombucha. All are healthy, gut loving probiotic rich foods/drinks.

So within the next few weeks I will be posting about my adventures in making and eating new foods. I intend to keep a journal of my observations regarding my overall health and any improvements I notice.

Let the real eating begin...