Intestinal Anguish

So last week was quite interesting. I only wish I knew what hit me, how I got it and how I can avoid ever getting it again. If I hadn't talked to 3 friends who had the same problem I really would have thought that my insides were ripping up from the inside out and I was going to die. The pain was second only to my labor and in this case it was not the happy joyous pain of contractions because something amazing and beautiful is on the other side. Instead this was anguish, horrific pain that was unsolved by anything but time.

I woke up on Saturday feeling relatively normal but "loose" shall we say, without the need to too much gross detail. On Sunday we took the boys to the Butterfly Pavilion and it HIT me, I am not sure I remember anything from the Pavilion because I was so out of it I was just trying to hold it together long enough so the boys could see all of the exhibits. On the way home I fell asleep in the car and when we finally got back I crawled into bed and didn't get out until Monday morning, it was awful.

Throughout the week I felt relatively normal, but remained "loose" and completely unable (or afraid) to eat any solid food. I was completely on the liquid diet. I thought I was getting better until Wednesday. In the early evening I was HIT again and this time it was 10 times worse! I stayed up until 2am going back and forth cringing in pain and talking with one of my best friends from college as she explained that this was exactly what she went through. This was the point at which I hit rock bottom, I was sure death was eminent. Thankfully I woke up Thursday morning feeling like whatever had been cruelly badgering me had passed and I was on the mend. On Friday I finally had my first taste of solid food and I am finally back to my old self (more or less).

Throughout the week I had been taking Nux Vom and Pulsatilla given to me by Susan my homeopath. Nux Vom relieves downward gas, heartburn, hangovers, stress induced issues and flu like symptoms and Pulsatilla with its applications for gas, heartburn, hiccups, nausea, sluggish digestion, constipation, diarrhea, and practically everything gastric, this homeopathic remedy is an asset. I held out using these remedies and taking them diligently until Wednesday night when I crashed again and the paing became so intense. I of course called my mommy and she of course advised me to go the Urgent Care, which I did, knowing what they were going to say. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long and after the examination she said "Yes, you seem to have some sort of intestinal issue, but there's nothing we can really do for you. I recommend probiotics." The only other thing she recommended was doing a stool sample, but seeing as though there was no blood in my stool at the time (am I really discussing this with you) there was no indication of salmanella which was good. So she sent me home with a box of sample probiotics and that night I was opening the capsules up and putting the power directly onto my tongue rather than waiting for it to go through my stomach. I am now thinking that this is something I should be adding to my regular vitamin regimin. I just can't imagine eating as much yogurt as would be needed (considering the sugar content) so I think I am going to purchase some capsuls or liquid probiotics to take regular. Maybe this will help my odd digestive tract in general. We'll see. I am going to do some more research on probiotics and I will let you know what I find out.

Gluten Free - Week #3

Starting my third week of Gluten Free cooking, but my fourth week of Gluten Free eating. You may have thought I jumped off the wagon because I didn't write about my cooking at all last week. Well the truth is I felt a little more like I had been run over by the wagon and then dragged by the wagon for about 10 miles. To say the least last week was Gluten Free, actually it was solid food free, but that I will talk about in another post.

Anyway, I just wanted to post my meal plan for the week. I am not sure if I will actually make all 5 meals because Wednesday is my birthday and I am planning to order out or go out! But here is what I am thinking. I will post pictures as recipes are made and as always all crockpot recipes came from the Crockpot 365 website and the others came from Elana's pantry, great resources!

Maple Dijon Chicken CrockPot Recipe

The Ingredients.

--1 lb chicken pieces (I used frozen breast tenderloins)
--1 cup chicken broth
--2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 onion, chopped
--2 T dijon mustard
--3 T maple syrup
--3 cloves garlic, chopped
--2 bay leaves
--1 tsp thyme

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot---it was a good size. This fed the four of us with a tiny bit left for lunch the next day. If you have a large family or would like leftovers, double the quantity.
Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and toss it with the thyme, maple syrup, and dijon mustard. Peel and slice the sweet potato, and add to the pot. Add the onion and garlic. If you don't want your onion to have a crunch, put it at the bottom of the crockpot; otherwise on top of the chicken is fine. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables reach desired tenderness.

CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Recipe

The Ingredients.

--uncooked traditional lasagna noodles (I used Tinkyada brand)
--4 already cooked chicken breast halves
--jar of prepared pasta sauce
--1 cup buffalo wing sauce
--3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
--tub of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
--2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
--1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
--1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

The Directions.

use at least a 5qt crockpot, or cut back on the amount of ingredients.

In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit. Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of chopped bell pepper. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into. Or it will fall apart. Ask me how I know this...

Chipotle Lime Salmon

1 lb salmon, cut into 4 fillets
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, sliced in half
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1.Preheat oven to 500°
2.Rinse salmon, pat dry and place on a metal baking sheet
3.Rub each fillet with olive oil
4.Squeeze the juice from one-half lime onto each fillet
5.Sprinkle fillets with salt and chipotle, then place a half lime on top of each fillet
6.Turn down oven temperature to 275°
7.Place salmon in oven and cook for 8-12 minutes, depending on how well done you like your fish

CrockPot Jambalaya Recipe

The Ingredients:

--5 fully cooked sausages; 2 spicy and 3 not-so-spicy. I chose 3 garlic-artichoke turkey and 2 turkey Louisiana hotlinks. They were left over from when I made this.
--2 cups chicken broth
--1/2 cup white wine
--1 cup raw brown rice
--1 can (and juice) Itallian stewed tomatoes
--1/2 can drained and rinsed black beans
--1/2 chopped onion
--1/2 head chopped garlic
--3 chopped celery spears
--1 green pepper
--1 red pepper
--1 cup frozen white corn kernals
--2 cups cooked frozen shrimp

The Directions:

--pour the broth, wine and the uncooked brown rice into the bottom of your stoneware. Stir the rice in the liquid.
--cover with chopped vegetables, frozen corn and garlic
--put in the black beans
--add sausage
I promise it's enough liquid.
--cook on low for 8-10 hours, high for 6.
--an hour before eating, stir in frozen shrimp and turn to high.

CrockPot Fried Rice Recipe

The Ingredients.

--2 cups leftover rice/quinoa
--3 T butter
--2 T soy sauce
--2 t worcestershire sauce
--1/2 t black pepper
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1/2 diced yellow onion
--1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand. (I had a bit of asparagus, some carrots and peas)
--leftover meat (I had leftover chicken and 3/4 of a cheeseburger patty from a restaurant--I told you I was Scottish!)
--1 egg
--sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Plop everything on in there together. Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.

One of BINSI's very first retailers was Zoe b now known as Zoe b Organic. Since partnering together owner, Valerie, and I have had the wonderful opportunity of becoming friends, working together at events and growing our businesses together. Isn't that the greatest thing about the maternity industry? Everyone is SO helpful and happy. It has been my experience that most people I have met started their businesses out of necessity or out of the genuine interest in helping other moms-to-be! What a blessing!

A little about Valerie:

It's easy being green.

I am a "green" mom, not an eco-evangelist but a mom who thinks we need to take care of our planet for the sake of our children. It makes sense, it is becoming easier to make green choices in your day to day life.

That's how Zoë b Organic started. Most products you can find on our website are either designed by me or products I have tested and use everyday.

Why go organic?

Though you may be unaware of it, growing cotton uses more pesticides and synthetic fertilizers than any other crop (50 million pounds of pesticides annually in the U.S. alone.) The pesticides used on cotton harm people, wildlife, and the environment. They can poison farm workers (especially in developing countries), drift into neighboring communities, contaminate the ground and surface water, and kill beneficial insects.

Our daughter Zoë was my inspiration for starting my own company. She,Lucas and our newborn daughter Sophie (born in November 2007) continue to inspire me every day. Thanks to my husband John for his support. I could not do this without him.

Along with BINSI Labor and Birth Apparel, Zoe b also carries organic products for Mom and Baby







Natursutten BPA, Phthalates Free Pacifier, BPA, Phthalates Free Teethers, Natural Rubber Teethers, BPA, phthalate-free Baby Bottles, Glass Baby Bottles

Lemongrass Spa

Along with healthy eating I have also tried to start using healthier cleaning products around the house. By this I don't only mean mean cleaning solutions, I also mean how we clean ourselves. One of my favorite companies to buy soap, lotion, and shampoo from is Lemongrass Spa. All Lemongrass Spa products are handmade in Colorado of all natural products with no harsh chemicals added and are a great price.

Some of the natural moisturizers and components used in creating Lemongrass products are:

Almond Oil - Sweet almond oil is a good general lubricating oil suitable for most skin types. It is rich in protein and vitamin E that softens and smoothes the skin. Used in creating most of our Body Polish, Lotion Bars, Peppermint Foot Balm and others.

Aloe Vera - from the Aloe Vera plant, this natural liquid is used in our Body Crèmes, Hand & Body Lotion and Body Spritz products. It helps soothe irritated or dry skin because of the polysaccharides contained therein help improve skin's ability to hydrate and protect itself.

Mango Butter - Obtained from the kernels of the mango tree. It has a high content of stearic acid, which makes it similar to cocoa butter. Mango butter has good emoliency and lends protection against the sun. Prevents dry skin, reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity of skin tone. Featured in some of our Body Polish products and moisturizers.

Allantoin - A healing, moisturizing, soothing and anti-irritating natural component found in comfrey root. It is a cell-proliferating healing agent, which stimulates healthy formation of tissue. Excellent in the treatment of acne, sunburn, abrasions and mature skin ailments. Used in the Face Crème and Tea Tree Face Crème products.

Jojoba Oil - excellent natural oil for improving moisture in the skin. Is most like the natural sebum, or oils in human skin. Used in Body Crème, Hand & Body Lotion and more.

Vitamin E Oil - An anti-oxidant that helps slow skin's natural aging process. Used in most of our skin care product line.

Shea Butter - Contains a high content of fatty acids that moisturizes and retains elasticity of skin. Shea Butter is found in the tropics of Africa. It is extracted from the nuts of the Shea-Karite tree which begins to bear fruit after about 15 years; and can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid. It is this irremovable fatty acid that gives Shea Butter its unique healing properties and makes it far superior to other vegetable butters. Used in creating Whipped Body Butter, Almond Body Butter, Body Crème, Hand & Body Lotion and several body polish products.

On a regular basis I use the facial creme with botanicals, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and my favorite Oatmeal Milk and Honey Body soap. My favorite scent from Lemongrass if the Grapefruit Lily and I regular use the hand soap, lotion, deodorant and shower gel.

I love that I can purchase the products from my good friend and business partner Carri's sister Kristin, but it is also difficult for me to plan ahead and when I run our of lotions I can't just run down to the Vitamin Cottage and get more. I actually have to place an order and pay a little extra with shipping costs. Although they make it very easy to place the order through a consultants website, or I can have a home party and earn commissions to use on lemongrass products. I did have a party once and it was great fun and of course I have attended many!

I highly recommend Lemongrass Spa for natural, chemical free, handmade products.

Awesome Power Bar Recipe

My friend Holly asked that I pass this recipe on to her, but I thought of a better idea, I will pass it on to everyone! My good friend and business partner Carri sent me this recipe and it is fantastic! The power bars are VERY nutritious, and easy to make. I usually make a whole 9 X 13 pan of bars, cut them into small bars and then keep them in the freezer. You can eat them right out of the freezer, you don't have to wait for them to thaw! As a matter of fact, I have been thinking of this recipe and now Holly has inspired me to make a batch myself! These also make great after soccer snacks etc. You can be creative with this recipe too. For instance I am going to remove the coconut, pumpkin seeds and nuts, but I may add in mini mini chocolate chips or another dried fruit. So go for it, be creative and see what you come up with, just let me know if you come up with a great idea! After I make a batch I will post a picture.

Power Bars:

1 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp carob powder
Combine the above ingredients and melt slowly in saucepan until smooth and a bit runny. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix well.

4 cups quick oats
1 cups rice crispy cereal
1/2 cup flaked raw coconut
4 Tbsp flax meal (ground)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
2 Tbsp wheat germ
1/4 raw sunflower seeds

Homeopathic Medicine

In my attempt to broaden my horizons, to take preventative rather than simply acute care of my family's health and to have a global perspective of our health I started seeing a homeopathic doctor last August in addition to our regular medical physician and our chiropractor. This has been particularly wonderful because my homeopath, Susan Nemcek at the Willow Farm in Hygiene, CO, has a lot of experience in counseling as well as homeopathy. Not that there is a lot wrong with me (well, I don't think so) but I figured it would be nice have someone to talk with and to hear her perspective on my overall health. Plus, she was recommended to me by one of my best friends whom she has really helped.

So one may be wondering, What is Homeopathic Medicine? According to ABC Homeopathy homeopathic remedies are a system of medicine based on three principles:

• Like cures like

For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.

• Minimal Dose

The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water.

• The Single Remedy

No matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.

Similar principals forms the basis of conventional allergy treatment, where the allergic substance is given in a small dose, and in vaccines where an impotent form of the virus is given to bolster the immune system against that particular virus.

I have found that working with Susan has helped me to make healthy decisions for my family in what I eat, my overexposure to medications and most importantly the importance of keeping myself and my family healthy so that we do not need medical interventions. Of course if I feel this is needed I am more than willing to seek medical help. However, my hope is that through our healthy lifestyle, a combination of healthy eating, exercise, homeopathic counseling, and regular visits to the chiropractor, we will remain healthy and will not require visits to the doctor, unless it is for well visits!

Homeopathic Remedies we take on a regular basis

1. Bioplasma - Taken as an immunity booster we take this everyday to simply fight off germs we come in contact with, similar to vitamin C.

2. Aconite - As soon as we feel a cold or illness coming on we take regular doses of aconite in order to shorten the intensity and duration of any illness.

3. Arnica - used to treat sore muscles, bruises, sore and aching joints. I basically consider it a safe advil. I also have arnica in a gel that I can use to rub on to sore muscles and aching neck (which is a common occurrence for me).

Live Well Longmont

The city of Longmont has received a large grant to fund a new program called "Live Well Longmont." This program will help promote making healthy choices regarding things such as food choices and increasing physical activity. If you care about the health of our kids and are able to volunteer to spend time on this Task Force, you can contact Danette Tye at es4dtye@aol.com

The title of this task force is "the education partnership healthy choices task." It will involve discussion regarding ways the district can support students (and their families) in making healthy choices - everything from nutrition to physical activity. There will be a short meeting for this group on March 9th to give an overview on the task force. You needn't live in the city limits of Longmont to be a part of this. If you are interested, contact Danette to get more information about the meeting.