If I could back to when I was younger, as lame as this sounds, I would totally knock it into my younger self's head that my health is one of the biggest gifts I have. I'd insist I take care of myself. Now in my 30's (not that I am old by any stretch) I do realize what a gift good health is. I had no clue as to how chronic health issues can affect ones day to day living. Even simple tasks can become complicated when you have health issues. I had no clue that around 20% of people in the United States are diagnosed with IBS symptoms. That is a huge percentage of people dealing with not only the physical components ...Read More
Foods Sugar-Free Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Ditch the super sugary store-bought candy and make your own! Here's how easy it is to make sugar-free homemade peanut butter cups. I will totally admit I have a major sweet tooth. Sigh. Even now that I know just how bad junk food is for you, I still stare longingly at the brightly colored packages of candy in the check out aisle. However, sugar and I just don't agree. My body is much happier when I am avoiding sugar. Still, I feel a need to have a treat now and again. (More like every night after dinner.) Old habits can be difficult to break. It's been about two years since I ventured into using sugar-free, ...Read More
Gut Health: The Key to Fighting Your Autoimmune Disease
Gut health is the key to fighting your autoimmune disease. A few years ago, if you had asked me what an autoimmune (AI) disorder was I would not have been able to answer the question. After I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I became a champion of Google research. Now, I am well familiar with the term autoimmune disorder (or autoimmune disease) and can tell you exactly what it means. In basic terms, an autoimmune disease is your body attacking itself. A body part—for example, your thyroid when it comes to Graves disease and Hashimoto's—starts releasing antibodies and your immune system reacts to those ...Read More
Why don’t I feel better? When your thyroid medication isn’t helping.
Did you know? 12% of the United States population will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime? 60% of the people with thyroid disease don't have a clue they have a thyroid condition? Woman are 5-8 times more likely to have a thyroid condition then men? (Source) Those are completely staggering figures to me. That means the likelihood that someone you know being treated for a thyroid condition is relatively high. For a lot of people, they don't even know their symptoms can be linked to a thyroid disorder. Synthroid isn't working for me. A question I hear so often, "Why do I feel bad when I am ...Read More
Sugar-Free Mocha Mint Shake
My current obsession is with this mocha mint shake. My weakness when it comes to candy and sweets is totally chocolate and peanut butter (like my peanut butter cup pie recipe). Sometimes though, I get a craving for chocolate and mint. There is something refreshing about the mint flavor mixed with chocolate. It can get tough when trying to stay away from sugar to get your chocolate fix in. I finally got brave and started trying to make sweet treats at home using sweeteners that don't make an impact on your blood sugar levels. (Did you know that maintaining blood sugar levels is key to adrenal and thyroid ...Read More
10 Warning Signs You Have Thyroid Problems
We need to discuss the warning signs you have thyroid problems. Thyroid disease is on the rise these days. Sadly, due to our lifestyles and the toxicity of daily life our thyroids take a beating. While the problem is common many people experience symptoms that they think are normal or they don't recognize the role their thyroid plays in them. My first major indication that I had a serious thyroid problem was when I woke up with a panic attack. It was out of the blue and I had never experienced one before. It totally scared me! I began to look at what could be the root of it and quickly decided that my ...Read More
Simplify Dinner: 31 Grain-Free Slow Cooker Meals
Let's talk about how to Simplify Dinner with some awesome Grain-Free Slow Cooker Meals. The witching hour. That's what I call the hour in my house that is not my finest. It is the time right before dinner, where I am trying to get the house picked up, the kids finishing up school, my teeth brushed (I'm keeping it real) and trying to get dinner ready. Sigh. Looking for more gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. It is so easy to get overwhelmed in those last few hours of the day and it really sets us up for being stressed ...Read More
Kid-Friendly Ways to Use Herbs
Let's face it, kids can be picky. (Well, if I am going to be perfectly honest, I know a lot of adults that are just as picky. ;) ) Part of the pickyness seems to really kick in when it comes to something that is "good for you." I've seen it happen over and over again, a parent says the dreaded words, "Here, take this, it's good for you," and the kid is in meltdown mode. That is one of the many reasons I love to use herbs for my kids. It is very easy to make something fun and tasty that your kids will enjoy with herbs. They most likely will not even realize it is good for them. It takes a bit of creativity but it ...Read More
