As the days rolled in to week #2 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox I noticed a significant decrease in the "panic" about food. I'm able to go in the grocery store to pick up some grassfed beef and eggs without glancing at the other aisles in longing and I can pack the kids lunches without having to remind myself not to just pop a raspberry in my mouth.
My goals for this program were exactly these goals. I don't think I ever shared my list of goals for this 21 days so I'd though I share now:
1. Regain the ability to not let my life revolve around food
2. Find Healthier ways to manage stress
3. Lose body fat (I've gained 10 pounds since my finish of the 90 day candida cleanse almost 3 years ago)
4. Establish meal planning routines
As I type this on the morning of Day 18, I feel very accomplished. I have definitely acheived all of these goals (Except the weight thing- 2 ounds left to go!)
The only problem with the "home stretch" of the detox is that you start to get bored of the food. Even with the recipe abundance I am finding myself eating a ton of eggs and grassfed burgers with greens because it is easy and fast. THAT is an old habit that I really want to re-wire, because it ends up sliding me back in to looking for convenience foods instead of preparing food. So I am forcing myself to try some brand new recipes over the last 4 days of this cleanse. I will share the successes with you in the upcoming...
There is no doubt that as you become more "clean" you have an insatiable desire to clean out all of the components in your life. This, for me, has been especially true about clutter. ALL clutter! I've somehow become acutely aware of every tiny thing out of place. Today, Dawn and I busted through some heavy duty office inventory and organizing and I just couldn't stop until it was done. As I feel less overwhelmed by food, I turn attention to all of the other things that could be causing stress and toxicity. The ugly truth is I've been ignoring quite a bit.
In the last several days I have found so many lost items and every time I organize one thing, I see the intricate layers that hide underneath.
The same occurs with emotions. I remember this about day 11 last time I did a food detox. As I got towards the middle of the cleanse, more and more emotions started to become present that had been covered up with food over the years. Without that instant indulgence, I am forced to stare at the emotions right in the eye. Emotions I don't like.
As I continue to move through the mind clutter I am starting to indulge myself in "food for the soul." I'm exploring new blogs and writings about living healthy and happy and I'm learning to create a quiet space in my mind. I've limited social media and television. I can finally see some peace peaking through.... like that little area of floor just visible through all the Legos.
There is still much work to be done, but as it stands I know I am much more equipped now that I am not constantly thinking about what I am going to eat. Simple is sustainable.
So I kind of slacked on this blog for day 8 and 9 and I have to admit it is because I just wasn't thinking about the detox! I was just eating food and enjoying not having any cravings. I have been very deep in thought though... As usual with any detox you start to see very clearly what other challenges you can overcome next. I am a total planner and a guilty partaker in the "I'll be happy when" and "just get through the day" concepts. In my thoughts of changing my habits I came across a very helpful author and I thought I'd share a quote.
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” ― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
To me this is a very important reminder when it comes to everything but, relevant to the sugar detox, very appropriate for overcoming food habits. We start on this really great path moving forward toward a destination (in this case health.) Every day we slide just a tiny bit to the left or right. It doesn't seem like much- maybe just a nibble of the wrong thing. But over a year after 365 days of little detours from our path we find ourselves in a COMPLETELY different destination. Then we have to find the way back to that path we first started on and, for some of us, could take a very long time.
So in conclusion, what you choose today DOES matter no matter how small. Whether it is a food, a phone call, a conversation, a good dead or an hour of sleep.
Live each day letting everything you do matter.
Half-way through the detox folks!!! Totally excited!!!
As with this whole detox program, planning has become super important. There are no convenience foods, but there are definitely some items I panic a little if I don't have. There is no order here, but I thought I'd share the twelve foods I NEVER let myself run out of.
1. Almond Butter
This is, without a doubt, my favorite food on the yes list. Once you have eliminated sugar, this stuff tastes like ice cream and chocolate. I put it on the Pumpkin Pancakes, slices of apple, and green tipped bananas. I use it in sauces and sometimes just eat it out of the jar. I NEVER run out. (I buy this in bulk.)
2. Eggs
Not only are eggs contained in many Paleo-friendly recipes, eggs can be a hunger-soothing meal in about 5 minutes and go with almost any vegetable. My favorite egg dish is spinach, red pepper, onions and ground turkey scramble.
3. Granny Smith Apples
This is my reward at the end of the day. It's also how I make my green smoothies. No question these are an amazing thing to have on hand.
4. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is the base of most cooking and works amazingly well as a seasoning too. You can't cook veggies or meats without something to put in the pan, so I recommend not running out of this.
5. Baby Spinach
This vegetable is great steamed or mixed in with stews, eggs, etc but is also the easiest to cover up! Therefor, it is a staple green smoothie ingredient
6. Cucumbers
I am in love with the cold noodle cucumber salad and also the cooling effect that cucumbers have on smoothies. It's a wonderful way to add texture to salads and to use even as the bread in tiny sandwiches.
7. Coffee
Anyone who knows me is aware that I can't live without coffee. Strong brewed and organic, of course.
8. Almond Milk
TO PUT IN THE COFFEE!!! Also required for most Paleo baking and smoothies.
9. Limes
Smoothies, salad dressings, water enhancements (LOVE Perrier and lime)and stir fry.
10. Ground Turkey
Quick and easy to cook to make lettuce wrapped tacos or mixed with nutritional yeast to make meatballs or just plain ole' Turkey Burgers. Super satisfying and easy to work with.
11. Chicken Breast
Once you've made chicken it can turn in to so many other things by using it in different formats. One of my favorites is chicken salad lettuce wraps. In my house we just keep chicken cooking daily.
12. Jalapenos
I just think everything tastes better spicy.
Please feel free to comment below on the Paleo foods you can't live without. Have a great weekend!
Cold Cucumber Salad with sesame-lemon-ginger dressing and red pepper flakes.
As I've scooted along the week in a lovely, streamlined routine I've come to realize the hardest part of the 21DSD yet.... Friday. Why Friday??? We love weekends right?! Well, this is the day all the food runs out that you prepared for the week. This is the day you would normally have a glass of wine to decompress. It's date night, pizza night, movies and popcorn night. Oh crap.
In the audio support of the 21DSD program, Diane talks about having to reboot the planning. I felt really good dumping the office refrigerator so I could refill it with fresh foods, but when I got home and looked in my kitchen I have to admit I had a minor panic attack. There's nothing for me to eat ANYWHERE!!!!
So I took a deep breath.. I got a glass of water...the last little bit of Paleo pulled pork (even though I ate it for lunch) and sat down with all of my cookbooks and a paper and pen while my family ate take-out pizza. Then I prepared my 8pm on Friday night trip to the grocery store. (Note: This will not be the norm!)
This was going to be tough. I am going to the store stressed and hungry in a time frame I would normally be shoving large amounts of horrible foods. So I called my mom. She said she would go with me, because she needed to learn how to buy the things I buy. Whew!!! I knew I wouldn't buy cheat foods now!
We both agreed that we would stick to our (3 times re-written) lists. It wasn't so bad. It really wasn't. We roamed through the store thinking about all of the things we are improving by eating this way. I did not freak out at the grocery store. I might have actually felt relaxed.
What did I do when I got home. Ate a granny smith apple with almond butter and watched "The Big Bang Theory" with my husband.
I've decided I'd like to share a recipe for you that can make your Mon-Fri breakfast easier because there is nothing like having something to look forward to in the morning.
I have to hand it to my husband. This is a ton easier ion me because of him. You will see many of my posts involving creative recipes that he has modified to be 21DSD friendly. Not only did make a completely sugar free "barbeque" pork, he brought it to me at work.
I can't help but emphasize here how much having the people around you supporting you is, especially when making lifestyle changes that you want to be long term. My whole office is extremely supportive and even my Mom is doing this with me. If this is something you are thinking of doing, I seriously suggest a "detox buddy" and at the very least let everyone know not to shove junk food in your face.
I will be posting the pork recipe in a future blog, but for the mean time I will just share the secret...
Granny Smith Apples and Cinnamon!!! Who knew?!
On day 4 I also discovered that I am already decreasing body fat and reducing my coffee intake. Both of these are positives I didn't expect so soon, so they are nice suprises. I also successfully denied the offerings of wine an ice cream, which may have previously been a big problem.
Today was the first day I ventured out of the office and I am soooo glad I remembered packing walnuts and pecans in my purse. I had to drive an hour away and the car rides are definitely trigger moments. Between the boredom and the passing hundreds of restaurants, this can be a real diet challenge. I remember this from the last food challenge I did, so was thankfully pleasantly satisfied with the crunchy bits of heaven.
I got home this evening to this wonderful masterpiece.....
It is a bacon-wrapped chili-chicken roll. It is amazing... and gone. My husband put fresh spicy red chilies that a friend gave me from her garden inside a chicken breast and baked it wrapped in bacon, He did this before with asparagus and this is even better because it made the whole chicken breast spicy. Note: Don't eat the hot peppers. They hurt.
As for the rest of the day....
Breakfast: Leftover pumpkin pancakes with almond butter
Lunch: Paleo meatballs with dijon mustard (left for me in the fridge yesterday evening)
Snacks: Nuts, Nuts, Nuts
I realize today I didn't eat enough vegetables. We will have to kick the nutrients up tomorrow!
Also, my copy of the 21DSD Cookbook arrived and I am so excited. I see some garlic shrimp "scampi" in my future... well, maybe in my husband's future. :)
by Dawn Share, Ap, DOM I have to say I am not as prepared as Crystal but I am as committed! I have kept my food choices simple today. Breakfast consisted of 2 soft boiled eggs with olive oil, sea salt, two slices of organic turkey with organic mustard.
I was a little heavy on the protein and fats but felt like that was what my body needed after a 20 minute hard interval bike ride. Lunch was a fabulous Brussel Sprout Slaw from www.fitpaleomom.com and leftover crustless quiche. Dinner was delicious creamy butternut squash soup. I had baked the squash the night before and put in the blender tonight with a can of full fat coconut milk, ginger, garlic and pink salt. Blend and heat. Yummy with some sautéed greens on the side. I don't crave the sweets as much as the "crunchies" so yesterday I made a paleo "cracker" from almond meal, butter, and salt. (Left out the honey from the original recipe). My problem is once I start snacking I wont stop. So I have decided to give myself some limitations: 1) Do not have paleo crackers as an option even though they are on the allowed foods on the 21 Day Sugar Detox. Celery and carrot sticks will have to be my new "crunchies!" 2) DO NOT eat after 7 pm! If I don't allow myself in the kitchen after dinner I wont be tempted to have a little snack that turns into a very large snack! I am an all or none kind of girl! (Crystal helped me bring in my 58th birthday with a bag of Organic peanut butter cups last week, that were gone by the end of the day, without the help of any of my coworkers!) But truly for the most part I don't eat unhealthy foods. My problem is I have been over eating the good stuff and thats not good either. Overeating, eating late or having snacks after dinner affects my digestion, sleep and mood! This is where my struggles lie. I do miss my stevia in my one cup of Bulletproof Coffee. Diane has planned this detox to really stop the sugar cravings and including "non sugar"sweeteners would still feed the sweet tooth. So no stevia, xylitol or raw honey are allowed. Well I am happy to say I have not felt the need to snack tonight. My plan is to get in bed by 9:30 so that I have less time to crave the snack and get my 8 hours sleep in. Did you know that adequate sleep helps keeps your hormones functioning properly? Ghrelin is the hormone that tells your body you need to eat. If you aren't getting enough sleep you will have more ghrelin. The opposing hormone that tells you to stop eating, called leptin decreases when you are sleep deprived. Not eating 2-3 hours before going to bed and getting 7-8 hrs sleep will have positive impact on my overeating. Sweet dreams!
I can't say enough positive things about Diane Sanfilippo's 21 Day Sugar Detox. It's Paleo-friendly, super satisfying and structured for emotional eaters (like me!)
The plan consists of eating real food and plenty of it. You give up sugar, carbs, gluten, wheat and all other things that might drive your blood sugar up and down and by the end can kick your carb habit and have decreased the inflammation in your body. It is appropriate in different variations for all people with all types of dietary needs. (Pregnant and Breastfeeding Moms too!)
This isn't my first rodeo, but getting back on the horse can be just as emotionally and physically challenging as being a newbie.
So I decided to keep myself accountable and share this next 21 days with you.
Let's start with the most important day of the detox... day 0. I've learned over many years of participating in nutritional resets that the only way to have a successful day 1 is to have a successful day 0. This day is basically spent entirely in 3 places. The kitchen table with cookbooks, (computer, phone on the toilet, wherever you get inspiration) the grocery store and the kitchen.
I wrote and rewrote the meat plan and the grocery list too. It is important I am not planning an overwhelming task load, so I got my husband (aka the meat cooker) in on it too.
This time I decided to do the whole online program. It includes meal planning and journal pages as well as grocery lists you can print and Audio tracks to help you through each day. I've included the links at the bottom and I highly suggest that you use these tools. There are tons of free resources on the website and Pinterest site as well. I went ahead and prepared all my tools for the whole 21 days so I wouldn't be able to use time as an excuse.
I also roped in a buddy. My co-owner, Dawn, has always been a much healthier eater than I am and, since we both recommend this program to our patients, she was on board. Plus, I felt bad for giving her a bag of organic peanut butter cups last week.
Day 1:
I'm writing this at the end of a successful day (as long as I don't go back in the kitchen!) I feel pretty good and haven't really faced many cravings. Thanks to the food prep from yesterday and my husband's crock pot creation, plus both Dawn and I bringing things in, there was not a food deficit. This is necessary when following a strict dietary plan as to not feel deprived or caught searching for the wrong things to eat.
Breakfast: Crustless Quiche (made the night before with carrots and zucchini)
Lunch: Taco salad with Grass fed beef, homemade seasoning and veggies with salsa and avocado
I am happy to see you are interested in the Salt Stone massage enhancement special available at Holistic Women and Families Health Center, through September 12th. As a massage therapist, I enjoy working with the amazing Himalayan Salt Stones for their many therapeutic benefits. When used heated, the stones enhance the massage experience, creating a calming, euphoric release from the moment the stones touch your skin. The benefits also include gently exfoliating, mineralizing and detoxifying the largest organ, your skin, as well as assisting the muscles to relax deeply, relieving tiredness and tension and alleviating aches and pains. “Research performed on the Himalayan salt shows that the balanced crystalline structure reveals fine branching with no shadows or rough edges. The crystal is not isolated from the inherent mineral elements, but is connected to them in a harmonious state. This tells us that the energy content, in the form of minerals, is balanced and can be easily metabolized by the body. This crystal is full of life. When taken internally or used externally, it will have a vital energetic effect on the body. The result is a net gain for the body and zero energy loss. The result of the above research demonstrates how well developed and vital the crystal of the Himalayan Salt is. It actually has life-generating power for the body and for our nervous system. “(1) Minerals such as Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese and iron are all inherent in the Himalayan salt and are released to the skin and muscle tissue during the massage experience.
Each massage is customized to achieve optimal benefit for each individual and the experience will not disappoint. Take time today to try it for yourself and feel the benefits of the Himalayan Salt Stones. Please call to book your appointment at our office 386-872-5757 or feel free to call me at 386-212-2852 with any questions. I look forward to working with you in the near future to assist your body and mind to feel better. -Ann Lyon, LMT
Pulled Pork is one of my absolute favorite dishes, so I asked my wonderfully supportive husband to create this favorite but omit the usual brown sugar or Bar-B-Q sauce. This turned out even better than the sugary kind! Here's the magical Recipe:
Ingredients:
3 Lbs Pork Shoulder
1 Cup Organic Vegetable Broth
2 Medium yellow onions
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp Salt (I prefer the pink salt)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions:
Finely chop the onions and garlic and spread on bottom of crock pot.
Rub Pork Shoulder with chili powder, cumin, salt and cinnamon. Place Pork on top of vegetables in crock pot. Add Vegetable broth and maple syrup.
Cook for 8 hours on low heat
Take out pork and put in serving dish
Strain vegetables and add to dish, then add remaining liquid slowly while shredding pork until the desired moisture is achieved.
Serve on top your favorite paleo bread or by itself and Enjoy!
Take your fat-burning Rocket Fuel Latte on-the-go with these travel-friendly coffee blocks. A Bulletproof coffee upgrade. Just add coffee or tea, shake, and enjoy.
Rocket Fuel Lattes are becoming a way of life for so many of the fat-fueled peeps in our community. I’m constantly working to create new flavor combinations, ways to enjoy them and compiling data from my one-on-one clients, to equip you with the tools you need to rock your Rocket Fuel Latte experience.
Not familiar with the Rocket Fuel Latte way? They’re basically an upgrade to the classic “butter coffee” or “Bulletproof coffee”, specifically created to regulate hormones and abolish cravings. The Rocket Fuel Latte came about after my bad experience drinking Bulletproof coffee.
With summer around the corner for many of us, it’s time we chatted about how we can take these powerful drinks on the road.
The protein in a Rocket Fuel Latte is just as important as the liquid itself (get the Rocket Fuel Latte ingredient guidelines here).
The protein source in many of my Rocket Fuel Latte recipes is collagen. Collagen is an animal-based protein derived from the hide of bovine. It’s the most abundant protein in the body, the key to all connective tissues, and the base infrastructure of the musculoskeletal system. We need it for movement, skin elasticity, healthy bones, flowing hair, the list goes on.
If you’re vegan, eating animal-sourced protein may not be okay with you. But I’ve worked with many vegans that have incorporated collagen into their eating style because of the superfood power of collagen. Your choice!
Up until this point, I’ve been quite liberal in my collagen recommendations, highlighting the options out there and opening it up to you to make the choice that best suits you. But today, I want to shine the light on one particular brand of collagen that’s caught my attention (and one that you’ve told me is your favorite, too), Vital Proteins.
After much taste testing, meeting having and product research, I feel best recommending and sharing Vital Proteins with you, my friends and family. Their price is fair, their product is high-quality, their message aligns with mine, and I love the taste.
HP readers save 10% + FREE shipping on all Vital Proteins Products with the coupon code VPA-4429-7VHPA-GWHV at checkout.
One of my favorite parts of this "job" is to assist empowered women on their natural birth journey. I got the honor recently to assist Heidi for the second time and I am pleased to share her story. Please read and share so that others may benefit from positive birth stories! The following posts are from her accounts of her births...
Crystal
Heidi Gagliardi’s 2nd Non-Medicated Birth
36 Weeks – Doctor appointment - 0cm dilated, 0%
effaced. Had inconsistent practice
surges, LOTS of them especially on our 2 day trip to Disney (Practice Surges =
Braxton Hicks in Hypnobirthing language).
37 Weeks – Doctor appointment - 2cm dilated, 50% effaced!!!
Progress!!! I was shocked and thought labor would happen within the next day or
two and at the latest over the weekend.
Still had lots of practice surges with a few night of being up from
2am-6am with consistent surges. HYPNObirthing relaxation
38 Weeks – Doctor appointment – 4cm dilated, still 50%
effaced…I’m still pregnant, lol, but more progress!!! Yay! And yes, still having many practice
surges. I was beginning to get a little
confused on how I was going to tell when I was really in labor because I was
having them all the time. My
friend/doula continued to reassure me that I would know when the real time was
here. Acupuncture sesh
39 Weeks – Doctor appointment – 4 almost 5cm dilated 70%
effaced. OMG, I am in disbelief that I
am still pregnant!!! But yay again for more progress! Acupuncture
39 Weeks 2 days –
Saturday 4/11 - 3:00am - Waters start to release (waters release = water
breaking in Hypnobirthing language). Was
not 100% sure that’s what was happening yet.
All Day – My mind began to wonder and fret about the timeline of events. If my waters were releasing, I was going to
need to birth the baby within the next 24-48 hours for safety reasons for us both. And not wanting meds, I knew that if I didn’t
have consistent contractions, I would need something such as Pitocin to get
labor going. After talking to Crystal
about my fears, I made up my mind that was the worst case scenario and that I
would still have Pitocin without an epidural if need be to get contractions
going. Also because of Crystal and her
encouragement, I would force myself to go back to thinking, this is going to
work Heidi, don’t fret. Your body is
slowly prepping for labor and you will birth in the appropriate amount of time.
All Day – Waters continue to release with other pre labor discharge (so gross,
lol)
6:00pm – Acupuncture at my house with Crystal Fedele. Total relaxation and natural high. I had not experienced this with acupuncture
before. My mother in law was there and
she said I began to talk funny and act loopy.
Hahaha!
8:30pm – Was sitting in bed, got up and waters released in a large amount. Confirmation that my waters had released!
10:30pm – Some surges started (surges = contractions in Hypnobirthing language)
11:45pm – Woke up to surges that were noticeably stronger,
but still very inconsistent time wise. I
did not get excited because of the last two weeks and being teased with
practice surges/labor. I asked my
husband Mike, to assist me to the restroom.
I wanted to get rid of bowels just in case I did go into labor. As I was sitting on the porcelain throne,
consistent contractions about 1 minute apart starting coming on strong and
hard. I felt as though I was stuck on
the throne! It was awful and my husband
was concerned for me! I told him I
wasn’t sure what was going on and that we may need to call Crystal soon.
Sunday 4/12 - 12:45pm – Finally was able to get off the
porcelain throne and was traumatized for a bit.
My practice surges became real and they came on strong and hard every 3
minutes apart.
2:00am - I made sure they were consistent before calling
Crystal to come over. Mike and I were
concerned that maybe we should just meet her at the hospital. I decided we would wait for her to assess me
and then all decide together. Mike was
super helpful during each surge. I did
not have all back labor this time, but did have some and he would press my hips
together to relieve surge discomfort.
Mike and I need to throw some stuff in the car, so I would waddle behind
him and yell at him, “I’m having one, drop it” so he could come over to press
my hips. I also, labored standing on the
floor at the edge of the bed in our room squatting through the surges, while he
pressed my hips. I began to lose it,
telling Mike, I can’t do this, this hurts so bad. In my mind I was beating myself up for
choosing this type of birth and not getting an epidural. I knew I had to stop thinking this way. I told Mike, “Tell me something good, tell me
I can do this”. He then reminded me that
I had done this before and that with each uncomfortable surge I was getting
closer to meet my Sweet Sofia. I then,
began to talk to Sofia during each surge, telling her that I was excited to
meet her. This helped so much in my
struggle with the discomfort. It’s vital
during this time in a natural birth to find your stride, your comfort zone. For each person that will be something
different. For me, it was talking out
loud to my unborn baby, wanting to work together with her to get this done.
2:30am – Crystal arrived at my house. Her presence is incredible! She comes in with the calmest energy I’ve
ever seen or felt in my life. I remember
sitting there, having strong uncomfortable surges, looking at her thinking… I
could never do what she does as a doula.
This is awful to watch women struggle like this. Obviously, I have/had been contemplating
being a doula. Crystal also informed me
that since my waters had released, everything was going to feel more intense
with each surge. This also helped me to
cope with what I was going through. I
knew it wasn’t going to subside until I pushed Sweet Sofia out. Crystal gave the cue and said, “Ok, honey, we
need to make our way to the hospital.”
Music to my ears! I was about to
meet my baby!
2:45am – Leave for Florida Hospital Memorial Medical
Center. Mike and I called my doctor on
the way. I had not called yet because it
was the weekend and I wasn’t sure if my doctor, Dr. Gilmore, was on call. I didn’t want to get worked up over not
having her and I also, wasn’t sure that my waters had released until later that
night. To my surprise, Dr. Gilmore was on call!
During a break from a surge, I screamed in excitement, WAHOO! This definitely boosted my positive mind
frame efforts. I also road to the hospital facing backwards in the front seat
on my knees holding the head rest with a pillow under me. Nothing about that ride was comfortable or
fun. I just continued to try to breathe
through the discomfort and as Crystal had coached me, through my pelvis, down
to my toes. Really, help each surge
reach its maximum potential of opening and softening my cervix. I saw the beautiful moon and then the
hospital was in sight. We made it, Thank
You God!
3:15am – Walking through the E.R. and all the doors were
closed to try and get to the 4th floor birthing unit. I was familiar with the hospital and was
upset at this. The security guard was
caught off guard and I was grunting and being my usual dramatic self through
each surge. I told her, “This is my
second baby, I need to get to the 4th floor and quick. She ran over and opened the doors to let us
through with her badge. She then
followed us and watched me have a surge.
I was grunting through them at this point feeling like I wanted to
push. She said you need to sit in a
wheelchair. I quickly responded, I am
NOT going to sit in a wheelchair. Mike
and Crystal chuckled and as she radioed for help (bc she thought I was going to
birth there on the floor) we waddled into the elevator and quickly closed to
door away from her. Mike was saying
hurry, hurry, she’s coming. I wanted to
laugh but I couldn’t.
3:20am – We made it to the 4th Floor Birthing
Unit! They took us into Triage and
checked me, I was 8cm and fully effaced.
This is called Transition!
Yay! This was really going to happen!
3:25am - We were put in our birthing room and I hated having
to switch beds, every movement was difficult.
I wound up laying on my left side and calmly laying through each surge
with Crystal’s help. I was holding her
hand and staring into her eyes and truly trying to let go and let my body and
baby do the work. This is one of the
hardest things for me to do. To release
my mind and control and surrender to the natural part of birthing. I asked Crystal a few times, am I doing ok
and do I look ok? She would smiley
gently and say yes honey you are. The
wonderful nurse Sharon was telling me to breath through wanting to push because
the doctor was not there yet. I didn’t
mind her saying that because she was nice and she didn’t bother me. She mentioned that she had done natural
birthing herself so she was on my side (lol).
I quickly had Mike pass around my birth plan so they could see my wishes
with my Sweet Sofia after she was born (that of course had been approved with
Dr. Gilmore and signed off on).
3:50am – Dr. Gilmore arrived. She was her usual, calm, half asleep, yet
happy self. I felt the urge to
push. I pushed and immediately backed
off and in my mind thought, oh gosh, that sucks. So, I was determined to get her out on the
next push no matter what. I took a solid
minute to gather my strength and bared down to push again. I was able to get her head out and took one
more deep breath and birthed the rest of her body out. Wahoo!
Immediate relief, thank you Jesus!
3:55am – Sweet Sofia Michelle was born 4-12-15 a healthy
8lbs 6oz and 19.75in long.
We took the first hour after birth to bond. I just starred at her in awe of God’s miracle
he made. The nursing staff wanting to
take her and do their normal things, but I said I am going to bond with her for
a while, so you may want to come back later.
They were kind and my wishes were granted.
Pre-Cursor to Heidi’s 2nd Non-Medicated Birth
I
would like to give a little insight as to why I chose this type of birth twice. I was fortunate enough to be my younger
sisters birth partner in 2010. She chose
a non-medicated birth. She followed HypnoBirthing®:
the Mongan Method and began researching and studying all about it. I was concerned for her because I was not
knowledgeable, but supportive nonetheless.
I did not read the book at this time. I was really quite freaked out and afraid that
she was going against the norm for birth.
I didn’t understand why someone would want to feel discomfort and
pain. I talked to several people close
to me about this and they also shared my same thoughts. Although I did not understand at that time, I
felt a strong, raw woman energy and power from her as she spoke about it. I trusted her intuition as a woman about to
become a mother for the first time. I
was in amazement at her strength and lack of fear, it drew me in and I was
addicted to that energy. After seeing my
nephew born into the world in a birth center with no medicine that solidified
it for me. It was amazing, it was
peaceful, it was beautiful, it was nature at its finest and I was hooked even
more than before. My sister did an
amazing job and I was honored to be able to help her through it. She labored peacefully for 17 hours and
birthed an 8lbs 13oz healthy baby boy with no medicine. She did it and I was there right by her side
every step of the way! Now I wandered,
could I also succeed at a non-medicated birth or did I even want to? Hmmm, that was the question.
After
actively trying, we became pregnant in March 2012 with our first daughter Giana
Marie. I started planning my natural
birth by calling Crystal Fedele to see when I should sign up for HypnoBirthing®
Classes. She was kind and chuckled
because I was only 12 weeks pregnant at that point. My sister and I had gone to
her class together and I was excited to share this experience with Mike. Choosing this method wasn’t easy, especially with
a husband in the medical field. He did
not understand why I would want to feel discomfort and pain (sound
familiar?). He said to make sure that I
wasn’t just trying to compete with my sister.
This was a good point because I am extremely competitive in everything
that I do. After doing some self checks,
I assured myself that I at least wanted to try and attempt this non-medicated
birth. If I wanted, I could always
change my mind. Yes, yes, I could always
change my mind and get the epidural if I wanted. I am also terrified of needles so this helped
in my efforts to try this type of birth.
Through my research and discussions about a non-medicated birth, I
learned many things. Some of the things
that truly encouraged me to keep going forward were that people who had opted
to get the epidural said it did not take and they felt everything! In my mind I thought, if that happens to me,
then I will at least be prepared for it a little and not be in shock for what I’m
about to experience. Then, I also read
that many people had negative lasting effects from the epidural. Things as little as headaches for a month or
longer and other side affects more dramatic like not being able to walk for 6
months. Again, encouraging to at least
attempt without the epidural.
The
whole pregnancy with Giana, I was active working out 4-5 times a week. I did cardio and yoga and ate a healthy diet
of course treating my sweet tooth as often as I wanted. I gained 32lbs that pregnancy and felt that
was a healthy amount. I really, really
wanted to make it to 40 weeks with Giana.
I felt it was really important to carry full term. I did make it, made it to 41 weeks! I then became concerned about when I would go
into labor naturally and not wanting my doctor to tell me I needed to be
medically induced. I was dead set
against that. I called Crystal and she
prescribed some Chinese herbal tea along with some other homeopathic remedies
to help encourage labor without needing Cervadil or Pitocin at the
hospital. It worked! I went into labor on a Thursday evening and
after 36 hours of back labor, birthed my first born daughter on Saturday
morning at 2:17am with no medicine. I
did it! Giana was a nice healthy baby.
She weighed 8lbs 9oz and was 21 inches long. I did not invite anyone into the room family
wise. Only me, Mike, my doula Crystal
and the amazing Dr. Gilmore and other hospital staff. My mom was mad and worried the entire
time. I was not able to communicate well
to either side of the family because back labor needed some serious focus and
concentration as well as calming from Mike and my doula Crystal! I was also extremely
afraid of failing and getting the epidural and did not want anyone else to see
that. Although I did not have my mom or any other female family members in the
room with me, it was still an amazing experience. I was so incredibly happy that I had
succeeded and accomplished a very important goal.
Moral
of this pre cursor is do not judge a non-medicated birth until you research and
become more knowledgeable on the subject.
I learned first hand that knowledge is power and I am forever grateful
to have experienced two non-medicated births.
Truly amazing and inspiring events in my life.
Here are five ways that meditation changes the brain, and how those changes lead to tangible benefits for you.
1. Meditation keeps your hippocampus healthy to enhance learning and memory.
The hippocapmus is a small region of the brain buried deep within the subcortex. It plays important roles in learning, emotion regulation and specifically helps with the consolidation of information, from the short-term to long-term memory.
In 2011, researchers at Harvard were among the first to demonstrate that just eight weeks of mindfulness meditation training caused significant increase in the thickness of the hippocampus.
2. Meditation tells your amygdala to chill out and helps to lower stress levels.
The same team of Harvard researchers also found that mindfulness meditation decreases brain cell volume in the amygdala, the part of our brain responsible for fear, anxiety and stress.
These changes matched with the participants’ self-reports of their stress levels, demonstrating how changes in the brain correlate with subjective perception and feelings as well.
Home-o-what? The hard- to-pronounce, easiest to use, fastest growing system of Medicine in the world. How it works and how it can help your family.
Since 1799 homeopathy has been saving and improving lives.
Exceptional in epidemics and the support of our children's immune systems: Homeopathy has cured folks of the measles, the flu, meningitis, hpv, the mumps, tetanus, meningitis, typhoid, scarlet fever, polio, cholera, yellow fever and diphtheria to name but a few.
Essential for your first aid kit: These safe, natural, inexpensive, non prescription, remedies help moms stay out of the emergency room, soothe upset tummies, bring down fevers, stop bleeding, and heal bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes. They ease anxiety, nightmares and bed wetting. 400 million people annually count on homeopathy to stimulate self healing.
It is a safe, easy, inexpensive form of medical system on its own or in partnership with conventional medicine. Midwives, nurses, doctors and mom at home, across throughout the world use these remedies at home for simple and uncomplicated events. With the guidance of certified homeopaths millions experience remarkable results in healing from chronic conditions: reverse illnesses, diseases, neurological injury, and side effects of modern life and medicines.
Learn how you can start helping your family with homeopathy.
1st Session:
What is homeopathy? How does it work? Why midwifes and moms across the globe swear by it. Discussion of top remedies for your medicine chest, and
chance to try the worlds #1 remedy for stress, temper tantrums and crises.
Holistic Women and Families will be hosting with Lise M. Battaglia, CCH, HMC, C.GP, C.HP, BFRP, here at our office for the first session in her series "Homeopathy and Your Family."
For 20 years Lise has served as an Integrative Wellness & Health Coach. She is a Certified Homeopath, GAPS Practitioner, Holistic Immunity Educator and Registered Bach Practitioner.
Be sure to mark your calendars for this free seminar , it's one you won't want to miss!
These bars are great if you're in a hurry and can't have breakfast, as a snack to give a boost during the day, or even for dessert, topped with sour cream or créme fraîche.
This post is sponsored by the Paleo Recipe Generator, which features over 700 Paleo recipes personalized to meet your unique needs.
Type of dish: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert Servings: cut to desired size. should be about 3/4 inch thick Equipment: skillet, baking dish lined with plastic wrap
Primal eaters like eggs and eat many of them. What’s not to love? Highly bioavailable protein. Extremely nutrient dense. A good source of fat, including omega-3s if you pick the right type of egg. Versatile; good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It even comes in a tidy little package that travels well. And eggs are inexpensive, especially for the amount of nutrition and enjoyment you get. Yeah, eggs are good. Real good.
We don’t want to squander this precious gift from the feathered gods. So today, I’m giving you my top 22 tips, tricks, and guidelines to make the most of your eggs.
How to know if they’re spoiled. Place your eggs in a bowl of cold water. If they sink, they’re good. If they float, they’ve gone bad. If they start to float but keep one end on the bottom, they’re good but not for long. Also works for determining the guilt of suspected witches.
How to boil eggs to desired doneness. Place eggs in a pot or pan and fill with water until it reaches midway up the eggs. Remove the eggs and set aside. Bring the water to a boil at medium/medium-high heat (4 on a scale of 6). Return the eggs to the now-boiling water and cover the pot. For soft-boiled, remove eggs after 6 minutes 30 seconds. For medium-boiled, remove eggs after 8 minutes. For hard-boiled, remove after 10 minutes. After removing eggs, place under cold running water for at least 30 seconds. Drop the cooking time by 30-45 seconds if your eggs are room temperature.
Softer yolks are better for you than harder yolks. The harder the yolk, the more oxidized cholesterol (which coincidentally may not be huge issue for people who eat just a few eggs occasionally, but the more eggs you eat the more it matters). Softer yolks are just better, period.
How to peel boiled eggs. Tim Ferriss has a nifty trick where he cracks both ends, blows into it, and out pops the egg. I’ve had mixed results with this method, but if it works for you, it’s definitely the quickest way. I prefer to let the egg come to room temperature, either using cool water or time, and roll the eggs along the counter to create a web of mini cracks. This seems to separate the white from the shell and make peeling easier. Also: the fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel.
How to “boil” eggs and make them easily pop out of their shells. Use the steam setting on an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, for two minutes (for soft-boiled), three minutes (for medium-boiled), and four minutes (for hard-boiled but not overdone). Place in ice water for a minute and the peel should slip right off.
How to eat boiled eggs. Two ways: kosher salt and kelp powder; or kosher salt, black pepper, and turmeric.
How to cook an omelet. Got 20 seconds, two eggs, and a tablespoon of butter? Do it like Julia Child, the master.
How to cook an omelet stuffed to the gills with several pounds of ingredients. You don’t, unless you like a huge ordeal and leathery eggs. If you want eggs with tons of ingredients, make a scramble.
How to scramble eggs. There are two acceptable ways. First is Gordon Ramsay’s method, which involves lots of whisking, lots of butter, and creme fraiche. Scrambled eggs this way come out soft and slightly wet. Another method is to heat butter (or olive oil) on a stainless steel pan over medium high heat, crack whole eggs into it, and let them cook a bit – as if you were doing sunny side up eggs. Right when the bottom begins to set, go to work with your spatula, chopping and cutting and breaking up the eggs. Scrambling, in other words. As with Ramsay’s method, take the eggs off before they fully cook.
How to fry an egg. Let the pan get hot over medium heat. Don’t rush it. Don’t be impatient. That blue stuff flickering down below the frying pan? That’s pure unadulterated fire. It’s really hot and it won’t be long until the pan is hot, too. If you don’t wait, the egg will stick to the bottom and you’ll have to soak it to get the egg off and the yolk will probably break prematurely and it’ll be a whole thing. Once a drop of water sizzles into nothingness against the surface, add the fat, let it melt. Crack in the eggs. Let a shape start to form, then you have a few options. 1. Drop in a tablespoon of water and cover the pan, steaming the egg. 2. Flip the egg and turn off the heat, letting the pan cook the other side. 3. Turn the heat down and let the egg continue cooking through to the other side. Oh, and the pan should be cast iron and well-seasoned.
How to poach an egg without ruining it. Poaching eggs is annoying, time consuming, and often messy, but you can’t deny that it’s impressive and delicious when you get it right. Forget the swirling vortex, the poaching contraptions, the agony, the heartache; poach your eggs in a mesh strainer. And use the freshest eggs possible.
Take your fat-burning Rocket Fuel Latte on-the-go with these travel-friendly coffee blocks. A Bulletproof coffee upgrade. Just add coffee or tea, shake, and enjoy.
