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...