No Poo and more

Starting in 2005 I was told I had severe chemical sensitivities and list of avoids. I went to one of my favorite authors Janice Cox whose series shows and gives recipes for various body care items. I have used shampoo bars, lye soap, pine tar soap and many others.  I went to just rinses in 2006 or 2007, consisting of Baking soda with distilled water for the first rinse- which currently results in numerous 'suds' usually. Then a rinse with apple cider vinegar and distilled water- which leaves my hair feeling silky and soft. In the past 6 months, I have used a private label shampoo, but felt it was a bit much for everyday use. The conditioner had gluten in it- so I do not use it. The hair gel had the same issue- I do not use it. The hair serum I have used, because of the essential oils in it. Currently, I am going back to simpler things. I made these below in mid March.

I am going to add a pinch of Epsom salts to my rinses to disperse the essential oils through the water.

2 Tablespoons baking soda BS

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar ACV

30 oz distilled water (8 oz in each jar with 14 oz in the cup to be split after mixing BS and ACV into its respective jar)

Here is the mixed version plus a dry shampoo/ body powder using rice flour, arrowroot starch, chamomile herb tea, and chamomile essential oil.

I use various essential oils depending on what I am looking for in my BS and ACV rinses. Also shown hair serum, plus fractionated coconut oil, a mixing bottle, with dry shampoo. Right now I will stick with the plain rinses while my hair and scalp are in transition. I will not be doing this everyday but at least once a week Sunday BS and ACV and may only use ACV rinse only midweek plus dry powder as needed with brushing out. It really depends on how it feels to me. I may add EOs to combat candida, what some call dandruff.

I am considering going back to a Basic Bob hairstyle or keeping my long on top pixie, I go through this every 5 years chopping off my hair wishing I hadn't. But like I usually tell the stylist it is hair and it grows back.

I am on my quest for happy hair and scalp.

Small Steps to Fitness (Cardio, Flexibility, Strength)

Well I know I have needed to re-examine my fitness goals and lack of fitness doing.
Here are the small steps I am taking.

1-Get on the treadmill.
2-Put the magnet in place so it will go.
3-Press the speed button and off we go.
OR
My other activity that includes walking is store walking.
This is where I go to walk around the store looking and it takes more than 30 mins usually.

I am shooting for 30 mins or 1 mile, depending on my day and how I am feeling.

Now as far as Stretching and Strength

I am going for a very simple formula.
Doing a light cardio exercise like marching in place to warm up the muscles and bring blood flow to the body overall to prepare for Stretching and Strength work.

Stretching the muscle group to be worked gently before I perform that exercise.

Chest-Modified Push ups
Abdominals-Crunches
Upper Back-Modified Pull ups/Lat Pulls/ Band Pulldowns
Legs/Lower Back-Deadlifts
Legs/Back-Squats

I am looking at a tabata type format for time not so much for reps.
So 1 min in each exercise, then repeat 2-4 times.
As a cool down I would do some light cardio and stretching.

Initially all exercise would be Bodyweight- gradually adding weight.

The workout schedule to follow would start 2 days a week tabata style and then cardio on off days. Moving to 3-4 days days a week combining tabatas and cardio after to flush wastes.

I also need to figure out the cat rubbing on me or the dogs trying to lick my face off when I am doing floor work. Pet hair can be somewhat invasive. I may need to move my weight set back out to the living room.

Hopefully this will help you start looking forward to warmer weather.

Don't forget Soothing Blend or Soothing Blend Rub for those sore or achy muscles.

Thinking

How I feel on the inside reflects on the outside in my appearance and behavior.
When I eat well and give my body the tools it needs to accept nutrients, then it is able to heal itself.
The biggest factor in my health is my thought process  about myself.
I have to change the way I think about myself, to change how I think about others.
I change the way I think by:
Not putting in degrading and painful information from media sources of all types.
Currently I really have now desire to watch TV even movies, I would prefer to read and ponder.
So I do...
I am putting in the best information I can.
This comes from my Core book(s)-the Holy Bible (KJV-LDS Edition), The Book of Mormon,
Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. I have gained so much insight from studying by topic. We are encouraged to seek knowledge of the best books, these are but a few of them.
I am studying Complimentary Healing modalities of many forms, it is interesting to be able to find examples of these in the scriptures. I take my Science based background and even find it supported there in the scriptures too. Because Heavenly Father is a being of Order and I truly desire to become like him and His Son. I must learn order in my living-My closet, my books, my clothing, everything must be in order. But I will take in small bits and pieces. I will organize them a little bit at a time, knowing I will return to reorder and chaos exists here. Clothing brings me to an interest would never guess by the way I dress. Fatigue has it's way of making us just pick whatever. Well that needs to come to order too. I know that one of the things I will do is bring my wardrobe back to order, being a former Color and Image Consultant  (yes you may gasp or laugh whichever). I will put it all back together. Because the way I dress affects the way I feel and the way I feel affects the way I think which affects the way I see myself. I no longer want to see myself as less than a precious daughter of my Heavenly Father. I am princess in training, as we all are. I must learn to be graceful and to deal with others with grace and poise. There is a lot to work through there. I will find a good mentor who can help me. Most of that wardrobe will have to be sewn from scratch as most of the things I see really do not like the color combinations or patterns. Luckily, I have basic sewing skills and a body blueprint system that will help me design and make patterns from scratch.
Those Healing modalities lead into another area too. Leadership and self-directed education which will serve me well in the future. That is another topic for another day though...

Food and Gluten Cross-contamination?

What is cross-contamination?
Cross-contamination is when a substance that causes great discomfort to an individual because they are sensitive or allergic to that substance.

This makes eating out at cheap burger joints or pizza places almost impossible, even low end restaurants or buffet bars. This has improved in the last few years in my experience.

As I have been traveling more for our businesses, I find I can get away with snacking on good food (veggies and fruit leather) as long as I eat one really good hot meal Preferably a 10 oz Steak, steamed veggies with REAL butter, a sweet potato with REAL butter and cinnamon and a good salad consisting of veggies red wine vinegar and Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) plus a big glass of water with some of Lemon essential oil or Metabolic Blend. I find do so much better. I usually can find coconut wraps and use those to surround a 6 oz can of tuna that has EVOO, vinegar and 6 drops of Cilantro Essential oil. This makes a good travel meal and tasty detox meal. The breakfast of choice is scrambled eggs and turkey bacon or chicken sausage OR a huge steak and veggie omelet. Beverages are Herbal tisanes and Yerba Mate from South America. I keep my sugars low, except for whole fruit and the fruit leather. I make or find safe snack bars. I do find at convention centers once I explain and ask, 'can you guarantee gluten-free, corn-free, and white potato-free and no cross-contamination' most places have no problem with me bringing food and drink I can consume safely. You will notice not a lot of grains or grasses (Rice, Amaranth, etc) either, I do eat them on occasion but I keep them very low becase they do not always agree with my body.

Something I saw in an LDS Tech Newsletter, an individual wrote in about the Sacrament stating that only those with Celiac* really worry about having a completely gluten-free experience. Something that should be understood is that a Gluten-intolerant* person can have Celiac or they may not. You can be both*. I learned this through Danna Korn, founder of Raising Our Celiac Kids and speaker at many Gluten-Intolerance conferences, when presenting in West Jordan, Utah over a decade ago now.  I know from experience that the lifestyle can be maintained. But it does take vigilance in your food preparation and the items you use on your body. everything is important. That is what started my journey to making y own body care items. My food journey in reality began with Eat Right for Your Type by Peter J D'Adamo -The Blood Type diet, I experimented upon the word and took out the obvious sources of wheat and gluten for two weeks and felt absolutely wonderful. But I will save that story for a later date. I now eat more along the whole foods and GAPS diet, or maybe just more Paleo. I have done my best to reduce processed foods as much as possible. For us Growing a garden is key to that lifestyle because we can then preserve our own food for our use.

Where exactly am I going with this a very real area of concern. Food seems to be the center of most Church Activities. It is somewhat discouraging to participation in activities when you know there will be nothing there for you  or that it will be cross-contaminated in the preparation process.

It would be like telling the many diabetics in church that 'I am sorry you can't have sugar, but we really can't be expected to meet your dietary restriction.'

Think would you tell the parent of a child with a peanut allergy, 'I am sorry your child will die from consuming or being in the room with peanuts, but we cannot meet those restrictions we are serving peanut butter cookies to all the kids.' How would that really go over?

This is how a person with food allergies or restrictions feels...

I have personally donated the supplies and helped my aunt prepare gluten-free french rolls for 100 people, because they had 3 sisters who were gluten-free. It was pleasure for me to do that because I knew what it meant to those 3 sisters.

How hard is it to separate naturally gluten-free from gluten items? Not very hard it is a matter of thinking it through and planning, and being very clear about the procedures necessary in Preparation and serving. I am very blessed to have children that know first hand the results of 'a little won't hurt you'.  They act as centurions watching preparation and telling me don't eat you will get sick.

The solution is setting aside a Gluten-free and food allergy table being clear that is for those with that issue. Because like at home sometimes our 'free' food looks better than the other 'normal' food. Have plain cut up Fruit and veggies with a plain sour cream dip or safe home made hummus. At the very least share the menu so that person can bring something to eat. OR have the activity and save the time of eating until the end, so they can quietly duck out.

Something else for those who think hand sanitizer cleans up gluten from the bread or other gluten items- sorry no dice there- Only soap and water properly remove the gluten. Please let those who prepare our Sacrament know this. That little speck of a crumb you drop from your finger on that cracker can cause anaphylaxsis-been there done that-don't want to do it again. that is why I am so anal about Sacrament Prep and have been requested to hold mine in my own hands now.

As always, comments and questions are welcome.  I am willing to discuss the matter.

*includes Dermatitus Herpetiformis-includes skin contact with gluten, which results in breakout of acne like looking bumps but are painful and leak clear fluids. It does not make one look pretty.

(Insert Name) made me think...

** Now the disclaimer-I used to think the way another dressed or the lack of dress made me think a certain way. I have since through study and lots of prayer figured out it is totally my choice what I think and I take responsibility for my own thought and actions. **

I am a bit concerned with the thought that I can make someone think something by the way I look. and It is therefore my fault because they are thinking that way.

I remember being taught in Young Women that the way I dressed influenced the way a young man thought.
Where does this leave the responsibility? It leaves it totally on the young woman.
Where is the young mans responsibility to control his thoughts? It does not sound like he has any. It sounds like he can be in any state of dress and it is OK.

I know the Young Women no longer swim at Girls Camp and at youth activities. They don't swim at camp or told to bring capri and t-shirts with sleeves to wear in the water at those youth activities. But here is what I don't understand why can a young man go around in just his swim trunks with no top. Simply put it is a double standard.

What this teaches is that Young Men and Men are not able to control their thoughts and it is always the Young Woman's and Woman's responsibility to keep them on the straight and narrow in their thinking.

I believe when we hit Judgement day. I will be judged on my thoughts alone, not what anyone else chose to think. I know this. I can say it with confidence after I have had somethings happen in my life that I choose not to discuss openly. Those who need to know, know and understand.

A great book that started my healing process was And They Were Not Ashamed by Laura Brotherson. Can you imagine what it must feel like to hear in Genesis that we were created in the image of our Heavenly Parents and pronounced very good. But in the next breath we are told we are defective and our bodies are sinful because they MAKE other think naughty thoughts.
This is just not true.

Our bodies are in the image of our Heavenly Parents-the body is good and beautiful.

Our bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Is that bad? No.
Sometimes because of the care or lack of care or medicines or other enviromental factors there are differences. Considering I know this first hand you see the body building pictures in prior posts. That was a result of very careful planning and care of exercise and what I put in my mouth. Really a huge influence was my thought process about that phase. I used a lot of guided imagery and visualization.

What does that have to do with thoughts?
What we think makes a huge difference in our outcomes. I have been chosen to no longer input huge amounts of media from many sources into my CPU (My brain). GI-GO (Garbage in-garbage out). I am choosing to read more classics. Listen to audios that centered and focused more on true principles. I am choosing to watch that which uplifts the souls as a whole.

My workout music used to consist of music I listened as a Young Adult in high school. Notice I said 'used to' I now listen to audios or books on tape or use my homemade 'treadmill desk' (a board across the part that stick out) to compose papers or reading a book. I have found by using those instead of the music I learn so much more the uptake in my mind is wonderful. I remember more it seems and I process it better, making better connections.

I have found that words in general affect us. Anyone who sees my big mug  notices the words Gratitude, love and joy. I am adding peace. Why? Because It affects the way I feel. I need the positive to counteract the negative that comes in.

It has been said that we need the following ratios of Positive comments to counteract a negative comment:
Positive: Negative
3:1 to move forward
2:1 languishing
1:1 depression
6:1 flourishing
5:1 required for a successful marriage

Words may have more influence than what is seen.

WE need to see others as people, not objects. A couple good books on this is Leadership and Self Deception and The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute. If you would like to get copies ask and I will send you links for both.

What we need to do is focus on the persons heart, not what they are wearing.
There are so many beautiful hearts that are hidden beneath burkas or abayas or bikinis or knee length shorts and dresses or T-shirts with sleeves.
Look at them with the Saviors' heart. Love them into fellowship.

Remember our culture is not the only culture, look at the changes within the Church over the last few years and the way programs are able to be modified to meet the needs of a worldwide Church versus just those in Utah. Because Utah is not the Church. We are a very diverse people and it is beautiful. True principles always prevail.

Crockpot food storage meal-Canned Venison Vegetable stew

Take four cups of Vegetable stew, brand of choice, place in slow cooker. 

Take a quart of canned venison with liquid. Drain liquid into meauring cup add water to total 8 cups of liquid, this makes a broth.

Add meat to top of dry Vegetable stew blend, thenpour in 8 cups of liquid (combined broth and water)

Heat until it smells deicious and veggies are rehydrated fully. 

I put the crockpot on high, will check in an hour.

Venison stew if what for dinnner tonight, for the family. Now to go hunt down my meal.....

Gratitude for the closing year.

I am full of gratitude for all I have been blessed with in the past year.

My wonderful neighbors who have been a great comfort to me when I need to ask a question and receive wonderful advice.

I am full of gratitude for Bear, our old black Labrador mix dog, who passed away this Year, for his loving protection and service to our family.

We are grateful for Landon, Our German Shepherd, our new protector and guardian in training.

We are grateful for Koka, our Black Labrador-Blue Healer mix dog, we love her energy and happy smile when chasing a ball. (Please do call before you come over so we can keep Koka from kissing you and Landon from trying to play fight with you.)

I am grateful for my husband who loves me and our children whom we love dearly.

I am grateful for Dorothy (Sister Fidler) being on her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Washington.

I am grateful for the return of Joseph (Elder Fidler) from his Mission Spanish Speaking in Los Angeles, California in August and the old neighbor and friend who let him use a phone to call me to tell me I was running late......

I am very grateful to a humble young mentor who has challenged me to read more. Through that reading I pray there has been a noticeable change in my heart towards others, Especially my husband.

I am thankful for the progress in my health and the small steps that are compounding over time into big changes. Which I hope will be inspiring, because I am focusing on the good days.

I strive for everyday to be a good day, even when my body is in open revolt.

I fully hope and pray your new year is one of great personal growth.

May Heavenly Father bless and grant all of your worthy and righteous desires this coming year.