Short & (Naturally) Sweet / Update #3

 Howdy friends. Here with update #3. I'll make this one a short one, seeing there is finally sunshine waiting outside for me to frolic and play in! Much planting, replanting and watering to do. We are certainly looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend! Not only does my wife have her first 4 day weekend to spend at home, but I've patiently (mostly) held off getting our annual outdoor frills and flowers. I absolutely LOVE adding pops of color to the yard and the house. Greenery and budding pretties. And thanks to Mom, we have a beautiful collection of herbs started to get us through the warmer seasons. Yay! I typically have the brown thumb of the family, so when we received our first colorful hanging basket of buds on Mother's Day, I held my breath (note: the gorgeous hydrangea we already planted was strangled by the frost that snuck back in and our white puffballs were trimmed in hopes for a healthy return next year). So far though, we've remembered to bring in the new flowers and I do believe we've finally made it past the worst with warmer days and nights ahead! 

 I am more than happy to say, I have been doing very well on my healthy diet change/get my adrenals back on track! My visit with the nutritionist/herbalist resulted in positive feedback including no more liver or pancreas supplements. Being off sugar and gluten has literally done wonders for my insides, not to mention my day to day routines. I have been sleeping better (still with assistance from my dear friend meletonin) which in return helps me wake up earlier and actually rested! That's a big change for me! I'm continuing with the stomach herbs (still dependent on the Rx...for now). Practicing patience for the healing of my stomach lining. Adrenals? Well, they still need some work too. I think we are well on our way! I don't get the overwhelming need for a midday nap...most days:) I'm feeling more energy and certainly less chronic fatigue and insomnia. Oh yes! The irony of it all. Can't sleep, can't sleep, can't sleep...2pm comes and I'm exhausted. My clock was completely off! 

 So that's pretty much the long and the short of it. Any other new news to report? Well, I'm pretty excited about an all natural deodorant I found that SERIOUSLY works! On me! That's an achievement! It's definitely worth reporting:) It's called Schmidts and I'm using the Lavender Sage. Try it! 

 Hoping you are enjoying your May. Enjoy what's left of it and I'll see you back here in June! Where there will be more great news to report and many more food pics because of CSA delivery beginning!!! Until then...here are more food pics;) 

 Take care and be well! 

because the ultimate healing begins within:) 

Paris loves this homemade Ice Cream! dairy free made only with frozen bananas and a splash of almond milk.
this one is her favorite with fresh strawberries. Max and I prefer the nut butter variety! throw it all in the food processor and whip it up. then just freeze the rest! 

dehydrating is a great way to incorporate some of the raw diet into your day! it holds all of the nutrients and vitamins that cooking at higher heats can diminish. our favorite are my raw "cheez-it" crackers! no cheese needed! simply made with fresh red bell peppers, raw nuts, nutritional yeast, a few spices and a drizzle of oil. you would not believe how crazy good these babies are!

spread them onto the trays and give it about 12 hours. we break them up rustic style. dip them, top them or just snack alone.

craving pancakes with no pancake mix on hand? these gluten free, dairy free blueberry pancakes were SOOOO GOOD! Applesauce replaces oil and flax meal replaces eggs. fresh fruit inside and topped off with berries too! OH MY! 

every so often (ok, more often than not) I get a hankering for Chinese
the trouble is, you don't always know what you're getting. from MSG (which i happen to have some not nice reactions to) to mystery meats and loaded sodiums, homemade "take out" is the way to go! don't get me wrong, there are still times we just want a quick meal delivered to our door. thats totally fine in moderation however, whipping up this egg drop soup and shrimp fried rice was simple and delicious too!

when the sun shines we get out into it! planting herbs here. although i had to go buy two more pots...i got carried away with the herb plants this year:) can you say LAVENDER!!! 

turns out the few mint plants we planted on the outside of the sunroom last summer survived indeed! and thriving now. they've taken over the area spreading like wildfire...sweet, minty, fresh wildfire! woohoo!

because you can never have enough baby pictures. when your up at Papis, the skies the limit...or better yet, the lawn has NO limits! a huge grassy playground for crawling and smelling flowers (ok , honestly it was more like eating flowers).

Update: Less Sugars, More Stones (Or More Pics Of Food With A Side Of Ruby)

 I'm here with an update. A couple weeks in on this journey of health. I feel better. And, "better is better"! (Dad):) It's not some significant or obvious change, more so a gentle shift. I am beginning to sleep better. With the help, for the time being, of melatonin. Not to mention, my wife getting up with the baby. Although, even he has been quite accommodating by beginning to sleep much longer stretches and even through the entire night some nights! Hooray for Bubba! 

My diet has been a bit of a struggle. Just a bit though. I am happily eating more nuts, seeds, salads (yay warmer weather foods) and berries. I have eggs on standby at all times. Hard boiled. Soft boiled. Over easy. Scrambled. You name it. I can also say, even as of this moment right now as I write this, I'm realizing my sugar cravings have lessened. Do I still want a piece of chocolate after a meal? Yes! In time I absolutely will. For now however, I'm staying true to the nutritional overhaul Bree has me on and I am replacing all sugars with honey and maple only. FYI, the honey sesame bites from Peters Cornucopia have saved me! Alongside my prayer and meditation practice, of which I feel more driven and in love with than ever before I think, I love taking those moments, even if just a second or two to find peace. 

 I am adding to my stone family. The newest members being a quartz crystal pendant and a brand new baby, a raw ruby hand picked for me by my dear sweet personal stone shopper, Christina. I have a beautiful new mala I can wear on my wrist made with love by Becka (who just so happens to be part of the support team I mentioned in my last post). Just having such a meditative and centering tool I can carry with me at all times gives me such peace of mind and heart. 

 Meat. Hmmm what to say. Well, I have made conscious efforts to include some animal protein in my diet for this beginning phase. I have had a bit of turkey and chicken. Finding an organic whole chicken in out of farmers market season made me happy:) We cooked it low and slow in the crockpot and the family gobbled it up! Even Maxine raved! We are attempting to incorporate the idea of that common trend of "one night a week" meal planning. Most folks are doing one night a week vegetarian just to give it a try and introduce a new way of eating into their lives. We are doing the same yet the opposite. One night a week we strive for some meat in our meal. For now:) We do eat fish and seafood though so they make up for the rest of our weekly protein, that isn't vegetable or legume/beans. 

 Herbs 3x a day? Check! Get out and move my body? Check! (lately I've been walking twice a day outdoors!) Avoiding the addictive drug that is sugar? Check!!! The basic stripped down truth...I feel lighter in a way (without actually losing a pound yet). I feel good though. An overall thumbs up sort of GOOD! I feel better! And once again, better is most definitely better! 

Be well and enjoy the moments! And of course, the food pics below:) 

...but first, lets begin with a picture of these beauties. raw quartz crystal, raw ruby and my wooden mala. all beneficial in just the right healing process. i cant explain how much we love our healing stones filled with amazing earthly vibrations. and ruby is my birthstone and holds amazing vibrations for the heart chakra. LOVE!

an easy lunch made with left over gluten free pasta. olive oil and some parm cheese with a handful of kelp flakes are tossed through the pasta and topped with burst tomatoes! clean, healthy and easy. yum!

homemade granola comes in super easy, affordable and custom flavored. we love to top our yogurt or just add a little almond milk and its a great snack or breakfast.

a mid week meal so quick and easy. fresh scallops from the fish counter grilled on the cast iron. thinly sliced sweet potatos take nothing more than salt, pepper and drizzle of olive oil. a chopped salad with shredded veggies and avocado rounds out the healthy dish full! 

because its not quite summer juicing weather yet i cannot seem to wait! freshly juiced cucumber, kale, lime and pear make for a delicious and nutritious blast of minerals and vitamins. if you dont yet,you MUST juice for health!

we always keep at least a dozen hard boiled eggs on hand. easy protein for a quick snack, addd them to salads, deviled or an egg salad on rice cake or lettuce wrap. we buy only organic local eggs...and when we are lucky, momma brings us eggs from Saratoga given generously by a friend with her own sweet gorgeous chickens!