Where to begin with diet changes?

After a few conversations with some friends on this subject-- I thought instead of adding a bunch of links to a bunch of e-mails-- why not put it all in one place (plus I can edit and add things to this very easily).

How funny that I (someone who has 70+lbs to lose) should write such a blog entry.... however-- this is now being delt with-- it is time to get HEALTHY-- AND AND AND lose weight-- I must do this-- now-- for me-- and really in preperation for any future blessings of children the Lord may bestow to us-- I need to be MUCH healthier.... I will post more on this SOON....

This is more about my children-- especially the last 3-- of whom I have really been able to keep their diet looking pretty good-- they do not have (many) bad habits (Yes, Stephen will call out for "peppi" when he sees Pepsi-- but I do limit that to 1x a week (Pizza night).... but really their diets are so much better than all the rest of us-- because there is not "change" for them-- this is their normal.... in addition I have done a lot of reading and have seen a FEW of the results in my children already.... life changing changes in my children.

Of course the most obvious change would be little Rebekah... anyone who knew Rebekah the first 9 months of her life knew her as the baby who was SOOO little, and so CRANKY with her red cheeks, and CONSTANT runny nose and rattling chest.....

Here is a picture of her when she was 8 months old..... (May 2009) This isn't the best picture to see all of her symptoms-- but I cannot locate one now-- and to be honest not too many were taken of a SCREAMING and CRYING baby with bright red cheeks and snotty nose....

On July 4th a dear friend who had seen all these symptoms in her son years ago-- gently pulled me aside at a picnic and told me she really thought maybe the problem was a milk allergy. So that following Monday Jason and I went to the only state certified goat milk location near us and bought some goat milk. I then began making her formula from raw goats milk. I also began putting some cod liver oil in the milk-- but after awhile I stopped-- (wish I wouldn't have) because the smell was INCREDIBLE-- and I felt bad for her-- but now the more I'm reading on Cod Liver Oil-- I think we may ALL go back to that--- (except Jason-- he DESPISES it-- but he will take them in capsules-- although I think they tend to revisit me when I take them that way-- blehchh)

Below is a picture of her in December of that year-- look at those BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT eyes-- and those beautiful chubby cheeks, and teeth.. oh yes the teeth just starting poping up everywhere...and one thing I didn't notice until seeing the before/after was her hair-- she had terrible hair as a baby-- not just baby hair-- but it was thin/balding....

Rebekah was tested for CF and MANY other things by our local pediatrican..... she had NUMEROUS blood draws-- all of which came back perfectly normal...... No one thought of Milk allergies-- and I do think the RAW(ness) of the milk makes ALL the difference-- it is alive-- and it builds up her immunity---

So that is when our family made the switch from store bought (DEAD) milk to RAW milk--- now only Rebekah at this time was on the goat milk due to COST!! It is EXPENSIVE-- Jason and I called it "liquid gold" and that it is-- in cost and in results!!

The next step our family has made in becoming healthier-- is taking the GNOWFGLINS course--- (which by the way is now pay what you can--- if you have TIME-- it is WELl worth your time and $$ to invest in this course)
where I learned SOOO much about how to properly perpare food.... Some of the bigger steps I have begun to make are:

• soaking our grains and rice and oats-- so our bodies and better abosorb the nutrients
• making homemade PROBIOTIC RICH yogurt and keifr
• chicken stock (I did already know this-- but I learned more about WHY it is soo good for you)
• fermented foods-- this is still a learning curve for us-- although I've seen several family members with some "digestive" issues take a TBS or 2 of our fermented sourcrout and come out feeling GOOD AS NEW with in a few hours!! IT"S TRUE!

Again-- really-- this course is great-- it has handouts-- videos-- and a forum to ask questions--

So the above is what I've "mastered"

But what I have been reading and am VERY interested in is the GAPS diet-- which is really just a cleansing of our guts....and as they say "All disease starts in the gut"... who knew?!?

This article is a good outline from the WP organization.... GAPS- Kids
The comment from WP on this article sums it up for me:
- Start with simple steps--by repopulating your gut flora with super drinks (yogurt, kefir, kvas, fermented vegetables) DAILY
- Liberally consume BONE broths
- eat grains that are prepared properly (soaked 12 hours)
- Vit. D- (cod liver oil) and shellfish - (* I take exception to that-- the Bible is supreme for me-- and although I eat shellfish-- I do NOT beleive it has healing properties--)
- Exercise on a regular basis

This is another good article from Weston Price Foundation-- on Traditional Remedies for Childhood Illness...
Very interesting-- ear infections are OFTEN related to milk issues... hmmm (Zachary had tons of ear infections-- wish I knew then what I know now). I have learned to let a fever be-- although some days it is hard-- I want to bring relief to my babies and do give Tylenol-- I take tylenol when I don't feel well-- so ?!!? But I do the OTHER treatments as well--- and am slowly learning a bit about some herbs that will do WONDERS...but I don't know NEAR enough to share on that topic (yet).

One last thing to share-- this book mentioned in this blog article is EXCELLENT-- and I HIGHLY recommend checking it out-- it is good-- but I thought I'd end with a link to this blog entry on one woman's FOOD JOURNEY.... Another part- Beginning Your OWN Food Journey (great tips) and lastly BALANCE on a FOOD Journey