Book Review – January

30 Jan

“The worth of a book is to be measured

by what you carry away from it.“

~James Bryce

Today starts a new monthly series I am excited about! As you know, I am keeping track of what books I read throughout the month, and have decided that it would be fun to share with you what I read and my thoughts on each book!  So for January, I read five books and am currently still engrossed in two.

My goal is to read a variety of genres – biography, theology, information (blogging, writing, etc…) , fun novels. This month I did not make it to some of them, but I have some plans for next month (can you believe that is only a few days away already??)

  • The Giblin Guide to Writing Children’s Books –by James Cross Giblin – This was a GREAT resource for anyone wanting to write their way into the world of children’s books. It includes the requirements of books for each age group, advice on actual writing, getting published and after publishing. I took several pages of notes, it was so chock-ful of information! I am contemplating buying it, it was so helpful.
  • An Assembly Such As This – by Pamela Aiden -It is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but from Darcy’s side of things. The author keeps true to Jane Austen’s characters while bringing in a different side of Darcy and weaving in great side story lines. A must read for anyone who loves Austen novels. She also keeps it all g-rated, which is essential if I’m going to read it!  this is a favorite of mine. I stumbled upon this at a second-hand bookstore. Fell in love with it, then stumbled across the third/final book of the series at the same store a few months later. Thank goodness for the library having the second book!
  • Full Disclosure – by Dee Henderson – A mystery/suspense christian novel that has you guessing every chapter. The twists and turns in the book are delightful and keeps you up at night throughout the 400 odd pages. Ann Silver is a ‘cop’s cop’. Paul Falcon works for the FBI as the top murder cop in the Midwest.  A difficult case throws their lives together and as Paul gets to know her better, he realizes just who he’s falling in love with…..
  • Twice Promised – by Maggie Brendan – two women answer a mail-order bride ad. The groom didn’t place the ad nor is he interested in anything other than running his business in a busy mining town. This is a sweet romance filled with situations that make you shift in your seat in sympathy with the character. I read this directly after the Dee Henderson book so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I think I would have.
  • Who Let the Blogs Out? – by Biz Stone – a book all about the history of blogs and how to start your own and html coding. i admit i lost interest near the end… forget why now but the middle was fantastic information for growing your blog.
  • Hans Brinker or Silver Skates – by Mary Mapes Dodge – this book was first published in 1865. This story takes place in early nineteenth-century Holland. The description of Holland is fascinating, including some Dutch words which aspects always make me enjoy a book more. There are two connecting story lines – Poor Hans dreams of winning the Silver Skates in an ice-skating race while we also see the lives of other Dutch boys whose families are a little more well-off than Hans’. It’s a great read – a bit slow for me but i love picking it up every evening to see what’s coming next. The boys just caught a man trying to steal from them in their hotel room… Captain Peter and cowardly Carl saved the day.  And I just found out that it was made into a movie in the late 1960s! yes! watching that once I finish the book!
  • A Northern Light –by Jennifer Donnelly , read by Hope Davis. Yes, it’s an audiobook. deal with it. In the poor, harsh and depressing setting of 1906, Mattie Gokey dreams of bigger things than her family’s farm – completing high school, going to college in New York City and becoming a writer. Along with the trials she chronicles, a backstory of the murder that inspired ‘An American Tragedy’ keeps your attention. The only thing I’m not liking about this story so far is the randomly-thrown-in cuss words. I normally don’t tolerate any in my stories but so far they are not frequent.
  • Hebrew in 10 Minutes a Day –by Kristine Kershul – an easy language learning kit that my OH had from years ago. I admit that I haven’t gotten very far in it yet, but I do intend to learn Hebrew! I will prevail! hehe.

And there you have it! A review of what has occupied a good amount of my time this month. I hope you get inspired to pick up a book this coming month instead of cleaning a video game… ahem. anyway.

Happy Reading!

~Laura

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isn’t this sign just too cute??

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When Chronic Pain Steals Your Joy

23 Jan

Pain.

We’ve all felt it in one degree or another throughout our lifetimes. Stubbing a toe. Smashing a finger. Or one that I am constantly doing -running my hip into the corner of our washing machine (i’m convinced the thing moves every now and then…)

But chronic pain is another thing entirely. This is an excerpt from webmd.com –

                  “Tens of millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain — pain that lasts longer than six months.

Chronic pain can be mild or excruciating, episodic or continuous,

merely inconvenient or totally incapacitating.

                      With chronic pain, signals of pain remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or even years.

This can take both a physical and emotional toll on a person.”

Over the last almost nine years of dealing with migraines and other health problems,  I have felt my share of the ’emotional toll’ that this pain causes. I am glad to say that I have been able to keep a positive attitude and outlook on life overall but the days when it feels like the world is about to crash and I can’t do anything to stop it? Yeah, those days aren’t fun.

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Take today for instance, I just got back from an impromptu lunch date with my OH but feel like I could just curl up in bed and not move until he comes home. Not only does the sleep sound divine (!) but there’s something about. . . sigh. Chronic pain sucks the life out of you at times. What do you do about it? Let it take you under and hold you there? Not a good choice, as appealing as that can sound sometimes. Here’s some of what I do to get me out of the black-vortex-life-sucking-negativity-thinking:

1 – get involved in an interesting story – be it a book, tv show, movie – getting your thoughts off the pain and the question “when will it end?’ is key.

2 – surf Pinterest for fun crafts or recipes or whatever interests you – but don’t go to the ‘exercise’ area…that might just make it worse.

3 – have your friend (or mom or relative! – anyone who you feel comfortable being in pain in front of) come over and just sit and talk. About what books you’re reading. What you want to do this summer.What the kiddos are up to. Whatever comes up. just relax.

4 – Take a nap! -This one is huge. Whether it’s a short one or a long one – whatever you can fit in. Take one. Sleep improves attitude ( have you been around young kids late in the afternoon recently? yeah. it’s a fact. sleep helps mood)

5 – Tell your spouse – this is one that I don’t do quiiiite as well at as I should. I can tell him I’m in pain but admitting my optimism is wavering? For some reason, that one’s harder. But it makes all the difference! Once they know, they know. You feel better for having told someone and they know not to say-that-one-thing-that-just-might-make-you-bawl-all-night. Just saying.

6 – This one should have been at the top honestly, but PRAY about it. God knows what we each are going through. And what better comforter could we have than the One who created us and loves us unconditionally?

7- Treat yourself – a hot bath, a special cup of tea/hot chocolate/coffee, pedi/mani. Whatever makes you smile, do it.

8- Remember it’s just how you’re feeling. Not reality. Honestly, this is a big one. It can be so easy to let our emotions take us wherever they lead, but they are often (read: quite often) wrong. Remind yourself that this is just a moment of doubt and frustration.

9 – Count Your Blessings. I love this one. I do it a lot when I’m in pain and am relegated to the couch once again. I have a wonderful husband. I am part of a crazy and big family. I have a warm and dry – and cute!- place to live. I have a cute puppy (all 80odd lbs of her) that takes naps with me. etc…etc…

10 – Do what you can to get rid of the pain – Again, this one should have been higher on the list…. You know what you can do to at least ease the pain. Do it! Even if it seems too much of an effort – it’s worth it. I drink tea, use essential oils, have eye/forehead pillows that all help alleviate the migraine.

It is a fact that long-term pain affects all aspects of the body. the mind/body link can actually make the pain worse. In my case, as one who suffers with migraines, sometimes the dreaded anticipation of one coming on can actually bring a migraine on. It’s a horrible cycle but it’s true. Another excerpt from webmd:

“Anxiety, stress, depression, anger, and fatigue interact in complex ways with chronic pain

and may decrease the body’s production of natural painkillers;

moreover, such negative feelings may increase the level of substances that amplify sensations of pain,

causing a vicious cycle of pain for the person. Even the body’s most basic defenses may be compromised:

There is considerable evidence that unrelenting pain can suppress the immune system.”

All this to say – don’t give in to the emotions that drag you down. It will, really, only make it all a whole lot worse. Stay positive, stay focused on what you’ve been blessed with – and please, eat a bit of chocolate for me?

I hope this helps friends. I know that chronic pain is something that affects a lot of us – and if you ever need a listening ear, I’m just a click away.

~Laura

* here is where I got the info from webmd : http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/understanding-pain-management-chronic-pain

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Space Saving Clothes Dryer

20 Jan

I am super excited.

You want to know why?

Because someone invented a brilliant little do-hicky that just made my life a little easier. And that calls for celebration. It might even call for a baking session today….

Let me tell you what has caused an otherwise blah day into a day worthy of a special treat – an over the door sweater drying rack. That’s right. Now, if you already know about these, feel free to shake your head at me  because I only recently found out about this. My mom – bless her heart – was at Wal-Mart  and grabbed this for me, for a few days before I had been telling her how i hang my hand-wash items over the shower curtain rod, lay them on the washer, dryer and wherever else I can find. Being a good mom and wanting to help me out, she grabbed this inexpensive space-saver/work-saver brilliance. 

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So, I set to work today – hung it up on our bedroom door, washed three items and laid them out! Voila! Done! 

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so easy!                                                                                            

The sweater is a bit heavy for it and I’ll have to rearrange it as it dries but I am so glad someone took the time to design and sell this!

What are some space-saving household items you have found that have made your life easier??

Thanks for stopping by, Laura

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DIY Infinity Scarf from pajama pants

17 Jan

Yes. You read that right. 

Why buy a scarf for about $20 when you can make your own for free – or very nearly free? I am sure you’ve seen some version of this, but since my mom and I changed up the directions we were following, I thought I’d  give you a nice little tutorial! =) 

I have had a super cute pair of pajama pants for a couple years now , but i never wore them. They were too baggy and had a white background which means, well. you know – unders can be seen. And that’s not attractive. EVER. Even at home in your jammies. So – I decided to change them over to a scarf!

Step 1: Lay  them out  and cut along the inseam of each leg. 

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Step 2: Then open each leg up and lay on top of each other  with wrong side out, in order to cut the legs off at the top inseam ( you are cutting off the pockets and waist off )

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Step 3: Cut each side straight up from the hem line to the top. I was lucky that my mom has a cool disappearing ink pen that we were  able to draw a line for me to (actually) cut straight. ahem. Then cut the hem off! This is what it should look like now :

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sorry it’s a little blurry…

step 4: With wrong side out still, pin one end to sew the two pieces of fabric together to form one long strip of fabric. Now, because my fabric ended up being too short I went and bought some dark blue flannel (about 1/2 yard). Wash and dry your fabric to make sure it shrinks before you sew your project. Then pin one end of the ‘extra’ fabric to the original piece wrong side out. And sew!

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Step 5: lay out long-wise and iron one end of the fabric in order to create an easy hem line and pin longwise.. Sew , making sure to sew down the edges of the ironed end. It will help in the next step, trust me! (sorry there’s no pictures! I spaced taking any more! oops!)

Step 6 : Pull right side out. Freak out at how cute your infinity scarf is becoming. Slip the unironed end inside the ironed side. See how once you sew them together you have a nice folded edge? Yep. It’s that easy. Pin. Sew close to the edge of the ironed side. Trim any dangling threads and try it on! =) 

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I am excited that I can wear it two ways – just wrapped around once and loose or ….

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wrapped around another time and up for more of a warm-scarf-while-wearing-a-coat-ness! I’m super excited that I was able to actually make this! I love sewing but do not do it very often (as my sewing machine is in storage!) so Eek! so proud of myself. 

Stay warm friends and happy sewing! 

 

 

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DIY organized grocery bag holder

13 Jan

I am all about finding ways to reuse items – – – and that includes plastic grocery bags. But storing them to use again usually results in something like this:

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 a cupboard that all i can see is BAGS.Shudder at the unorganized-ness of it all! I had found an easy idea this past summer for a way to get them down to ‘size’ and contain them but had never fully tried it. So, today i pulled out the bag stuffed full of bags and gave it a try! you can see the original post here:  http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011/07/summer-social-guest-project-make_21.html

 

Here’s what  I did (while I watched an episode of Lie To Me.) 

First, flatten a dozen or so bags and fold in half so the the handles are on top of each other.  Layer bags like so:

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On the first one, fold the handles up (like in the photo!) and roll, continuing until you’ve rolled all dozen bags. I had so many that I rolled three of these beauties. I then took an empty oatmeal cardboard container and cut two crossing lines in the lid  (didn’t take a photo of that, but i’m sure you get the idea! )  Popped the three rolled bags in and voila! : 

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I now have a dispenser of grocery bags. If I wanted to, I could decorate this to make it pretty, but since it’s going under my sink… I’m not too worried about it. And now, the new look of my cupboard! : 

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I found oven cleaner, floor cleaner and Lysol cleaner in there! Ha! Just saved money by not going out and buying more. =) Now that’s what I call a successful project.  

Hope you enjoyed this little money-saving-organizing project of mine! And if you’re not too keen on saving these bags here’s  a list of what you could use them for:

 

~small garbage bins bags (instead of buying those expensive bags from the store!!)

~ pooper scooper bags ( don’t buy those specially made for this! just grab these and go clean your yard! and come do mine while you’re at it. hehe)

~ easy dog hair grooming bag  ( when you’re brushing your dog, grab one of these. when you’ve filled it, you know for sure your dog has too much hair.. or is that just mine?)

~donation bag (as you’re cleaning/organizing your house, have one of these ready  to go to Goodwill!)

~chicken food scraps (I save my food scraps and take them out to my mom’s to make her chickens ‘happy’ and it keeps my garbage from getting super smelly!)

~oil hair mask (when doing a hair mask and you don’t have a shower cap, although it feels strange tying one on your head, they work like a charm! – https://thestartofagoodlife.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/dandruff-remover-and-a-bit -about-my-life/ )

Have a wonderful Monday saving money one tiny step at a time! 

~Laura

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Reading Lists

4 Jan

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I am super excited about what i have found! I stumbled across a fabulous new blog –  Beyond the Covers – and  i love it already! You MUST go check it out, it is all about books! And book lists! and reviews! plus, she has free downloadable pages to keep track of what you read each month. They are super cute pages – and I’ve already started mine! I look forward, at the end of this year, of having a list of all I’ve read!

I have a mental lists of some of the books that i want to read this year – some for the first time and other for the 1o0th! But this will be a fun way to keep track of what i actually do read. I am thinking of writing out my hope-to’s on the back of the have-reads. So if i ever get stumped on what to read (yeah right!), i can skim the list and be off. 

Here is a short list for you of my hope-to-reads this year:

~Finish reading the Narnia series (i know, i know, i somehow got sidetracked!) by C.S. Lewis

~Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge

~Turgenev by Rudin

~City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell

~Lights of the Veil by Patty Metzer (one of my favorite stories!)

~The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

I am reading two books right now  “The Giblin Guide to Writing Children’s Books” by James Cross Giblin and “An Assembly Such as This”  by Pamela Aiden . The writing guide is very good so far, i am making sure to take notes so it doesn’t all go in through the eyes and straight back out through the… well, you know what i’m trying to say! In reference of the ‘in through one ear and out through the other’ but when you’re reading it where does it go??????

ahem. Anyway, I am devouring the advice that it has! The Aiden book is one of my favorite series. It is the story of Pride and Prejudice but through Darcy’s side. Very well written and she kept true to Austen’s characters.

books for blog

Do share what books you have calling your name this year! I am always eager to hear of more fabulous reads! 

Sidenote: I am going to be trying to figure out how to get the button for Beyond the Covers….this is all new to me so we shall see how i do with it!

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2014 Resolutions

2 Jan

Well Friends, we are 2 days into the new year! As we all know, that includes making a list, whether it’s mental or written down, of what we would like to accomplish or change in our lives these next 364 days.

Bring on the new year,

with it’s fresh pages to write on

to create the story we dream of.

Bring on the  adventures

of which we long for.

Bring on  the trials 

of which we dread 

for it is in those moments that we grow the most

and become who we dream of being. 

I have been mulling it over and have come up with some questions for myself and all of you:

1)What is something outlandish/extravagant/outrageous/fantastic that you would love to do this year?

2) What are some things you think you could accomplish this year?

My mind spins with thoughts for question number 1 – i’ll give you a few of them :

~ get my health back! (you know, the health that i haven’t really had since i was 19)

~ travel somewhere exotic (Israel, Ireland, Scotland, Maine..etc.)

~ and some others that i can’t really share with the whole wide world!

thoughts for number 2 :

~ get in shape to run a 5k

~ start writing  again! (i fell out of the habit so easily! oy vay!)

~figure out my niche for this blog and get going on it!

~become a better housekeeper

So, there you have it friends –  I could make that list so much longer but i’m going to keep it short and sweet and focus on those! Please share with me what your goals are for this coming year,  i love hearing from my (albeit few) readers!

Happy New Year!

~Laura

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Baking on Christmas Eve

25 Dec

Merry Christmas friends! I cannot believe that tomorrow is Christmas! Yay! I must admit, that it is strange to not be in my parents’ house for these holidays. I am used to the traditions that we have accumulated over the years and not doing them feels weird! But i wouldn’t trade being married to my wonderful OH for anything! 

Aside from cleaning, arguing with a handmade gift that i eventually gave up on, i baked a yummy gluten free pumpkin loaf (YUM! ) and a challah bread pudding. If you like, I can share the pumpkin loaf, just let me know, But for today, i’m going to share the bread pudding. I got the recipe from here: 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bread-pudding-ii/

 but i switched it up so that i could eat it! ha. you know how it goes for those of us that are ‘special’. . . ahem, anyway, for Shabbat last week i made this challah bread : http://www.pamelasproducts.com/challah-bread/ that i have posted about before. But on friday I wasn’t feeling well, so i skipped the braiding part and dumped it in the loaf pan. I also switched up that recipe too… that made it turn out the best that it ever has. i was so excited (and if truth be told, i still am) about how much like bread it turned out. eager to see if i can turn it out that good or better this coming week.  

Here’s my version of the recipe:

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING

6 slices day old bread

2 TB Earth Balance butter, melted

1/2 c raisins 

3 large duck eggs, beaten 

2 cups coconut milk

1 c coconut palm sugar

1 tsp each cinnamon and vanilla extract

super simple directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. sprinkle with raisins.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine duck eggs, coconut milk, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped. 

Because of the coconut sugar, the liquid mixture will be darker than you are used to seeing, it will also not be quite as sweet, that is why i added to the original amount.  I snuck a bite so i could tell you how my changes worked, and it’s delicious! YUM! I do not want to wait until tomorrow evening to scarf this down. mmm, mm good!

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             ~bread with drizzled butter and raisins~

 

 

 

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The brands I use – the flour blend isn’t used for this recipe… but now you know what i like to use!!!

 

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                                      ~the finished product! ~

Hope you enjoy the recipe! Let me know if you try it out! 

Merry Christmas! 

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1940’s hair tutorial

16 Dec

Hello friends! I have been falling in love with vintage hair styles. I don’t know if it’s because some of my dear friends (you know who you are) rock them or just being on pinterest. but it’s inspired me to try one today! It’s a version of the Victory Roll. I found the tutorial at – http://theglitterguide.com/2011/09/30/1940s-hair-tutorial/  . super easy tutorial but it was more difficult than i thought it would be! For one thing, i didn’t want to spend half an hour on my hair, even if it was the victory rolls! And it is also thick, ,thick and did i mention it is super thick? i grew up having people comment on how thick my hair was ‘enough for two heads’ was always my response. And it’s true. i have that much hair. plus it is naturally curly, but i have been learning new ways to make it more how i want it! 

I even stamped my foot in frustration during this hairstyle. just wrap the hair around your finger, pin it to your head. simple. Unless your hair is …well. mine. 

Don’t get me wrong, i love my hair long and i love that it’s thick. Its the fact that it’s curly and well, not brown…. you’ll see what i mean in a second. =)  i do want to get better at this style and try other vintage styles!  I am not very good at taking pictures of myself and always feel awkward ( as if my dog is judging me!)  so i’m not too keen on these photos but they are the best that i was able to get! 

 

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Pssst, by the way – 9 days til Christmas!

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Hidden Food Allergies

3 Dec

Happy December! 

I finally picked up my new book “Detecting Your Hidden Allergies” by William G. Crook, M.D. (great name for a guy, eh?? crook?)  last night and started from page 1 instead of jumping right to the chapter i’ve been wanting to read. And i’m so glad i did! Here’s what I learned from the book so far.

The word allergy is from two greek words – allos which means other and ergon which means work or action. Hence, an allergic person reacts to things that other people don’t. (Now, aren’t we special??)  I’m going to explain this in my words : what you develop an allergy to is termed an allergen – the substances in your body which react to the allergens are called antibodies. When they come together, reactions occur – histamines and other chemicals are released in your body. they make automatic muscles tighten and go into spasm; blood vessels to leak fluid; glands to put out mucus. (makes sense why i feel horrible…) 

Allergic reactions are like an iceberg – about 1/7 of them is seen above the water while the rest is submerged. And here are some of the indicators of hidden food allergies : 

  • Paleness -pale with bags or dark shadows under the eyes – that’s me!
  • Stomach pain – suspect hidden food allergies if also fatigued – that’s me!
  • Muscle and Joint Pain
  • Persistent Colds, Bronchitis, Asthma and ‘Sinus’ – that’s my OH!
  • Headaches – that’s me!
  • Urinary Problems – When one eats a food he’s allergic to “the muscular coat around the bladder contracts” – which makes the bladder smaller and keeps it from holding the normal amount of urine. – this one is a bit harder to admit to online, but this is me too. Not only did i cause myself problems in high school by not wanting to use the filthy public bathrooms and waiting until i got home, food allergies are wreaking havoc too!
  • Irritability and Nervousness – nervous system reactions are often food related
  • Fatigue – that’s me! i’ve been tired since i was an early teen. 

So i have 5 out of the 8 symptoms listed here! i couldn’t believe it! All these problems that i’ve been dealing with could very well be related to the food allergies i have. What frustrates me is that for almost 2 years now i’ve been on a diet cutting out any gluten, dairy, eggs, beef. and recently processed sugar. So why do i still have these symptoms? I am hoping to figure that out!

What else i learned : 

A lot of the foods that you are allergic to are ones you eat every day, so eat a rotated diet. It will help identify problem foods and prevent new food allergies from developing later on. I want to start implementing this as soon as life settles down for my OH and I. I have hopes that it will help with both of our digestion and keep us from cheating as we aren’t bored of the same old same old! 

Not sure what a rotated diet is? click here and read more!  http://www.20somethingallergies.com/what-is-a-rotation-diet-part-2/#more-1364

I am actually excited to read more on that blog, it looks like it has a lot of information for me as i get going on a rotated diet! Here are a few books that “Detecting Your Hidden Allergies”  talked about :

“Alternative Approach to Allergies” by Theron G. Randolph and Randy Moss

“Guess What’s Coming to Dinner” published by ASF in 1987  – both of these books are older so i’m hoping they are still in print and readily available! 

I have made it to the Chemical Problem chapter and am eager to read more! I will share more with you as i go along. 

Until next time – Happy Chanukah!

 

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gluten free sufganiyot (jelly donuts) that my OH made! Yummy!

 

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