Category: Health / PCOS

In Three Hours

teapotcupdrawing The beauty of a plan is the presence of accompanying grace.  I think this is true with most any plan.  Well, except for plans with deadlines, specific time frames, appointments, etc.

So it is, with the Trim Healthy Mama “plan” for health and optimal weight or finding your trim. With grace.

Grace doesn’t mean carelessness, though.  And it doesn’t mean neglect.  I know that.
Now.

The result of neglecting the plan is sort of like how money evaporates in California.  Or how the reaching of an optimal weight goal is erased by consuming bags of sea salt & dark-chocolate covered almonds from Costco.  Or the only safe hot french bread and butter is a picture of hot french bread & butter.

So, I’m back on the plan — and, actually, I can’t tell you how vulnerable I’m feeling even saying it. I’m like: omygoodness, what if I fail? Again.  Suddenly, it feels confining – like no grace at all.  But, then I bring truth to mind: In three hours.  There’s the grace.  If I fail: in three hours (or any time!!) I have the opportunity to make a better choice/a right choice/a healthy choice.  In three hours, I can get “back on the plan” and go on from there.  In three hours.  No starting all over again, just pressing on.  I resolve to press on and prepare for my better choice.

The grace of  a better choice in three hours is not license to excuse myself for overindulging or to eat whatever I want, whenever I want.

It’s amazing to me to see the parallels of grace regarding self will & food and obedience & faith.

Just like God’s merciful grace in our lives is not license to sin!  God’s grace doesn’t absolve me from obedience to His known commands or the prompting of the Holy Spirit — it actually gives me more motivation to love and pursue God and to not do whatever I want, whenever I want.  I know it’s by the grace and faith of the Lord Jesus that I can know Him, seek Him, walk with Him and trust Him to complete His work in me (and that includes the dying to self regarding food & over indulging).

God’s grace and the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit gives me strong desire and reason to seek Him, to love Him, and to obey Him. For I know I haven’t done, or can do nothing in and of myself to earn or merit His favour — it’s all His, it’s all grace.  Not just in three hours, but minute by minute, day by day.

three months = thm

teacuppamelaA little over three months ago, I ordered the Trim Healthy Mama book.  I kept ‘stumbling’ into links and recipes during searches for health, no sugar and a few other search words I used each day googling for ‘healthy’ foods — or foods with no sugar.  I would read recipes that women had adapted or linked from the THM book and I’d think:  I could NEVER do this… well, at least not for long.  And given the fact that I only know knew how to crash diet, I thought it would be pretty hard thing to justify spending $35. on a book.  The only books I’ve bought in recent years that cost near that much were a couple of CAKE books!   So, yeah, I have had my priorities.   But a few days went by and I kept mulling over the thought that it just might be a good idea… I even thought that the price alone might force me to behave and follow the diet—even though I really didn’t have any idea what the plan really entailed.   Then there was the thought that I surely wouldn’t do a vegan diet or an all raw diet… no, I had not been there done that… I just never wanted to be there doing that, that’s all.  And then there was my beloved every morning cuppa tea with milk & honey.  And then there was my every morning café mocha.  Or two.  And then there was my every single evening cuppa tea with milk & honey.  And then, of course, there were all those other beloved carbie foods.  The food of my people.

But I wasn’t feeling well.  Health problems were driving me to do something… anything… but something different than what I was doing.

So I bought the book.  I know… I know… I should have consulted my husband and should’ve talked it over.  When the book arrived, I did talk it over with him.  Now three months later, you know what I wish?  I wish I’d explored it sooner—I wish I’d bought it sooner.  But I didn’t. 

Looking back on that day — the day I was standing at my butcher block table next to the bookshelf in my kitchen — having just come in from the porch where my UPS man had brought me my package, I was excitedly opening up the cardboard packaging.  I pulled out that enormous book—held it up—and at the time, I didn’t realize I was holding up the book against the backdrop of that bookshelf filled with every kind of not-so-trim-healthy-mama  book there is!!  I set the book down on the shelf and laughed… and wondered, where does this book fit in with my life?  It didn’t fit in…  and that’s why I was where I was that day.

THMbookshelf

Well, sat down and I began to read… and read… and read… and that day, wobbly as they were, I took my first steps on the THM journey… 

THM… Seriously.

teacuppamelaYou know what?  I like the Trim Healthy Mama (diet) plan.  Seriously.  I like it enough to think I’ll always like this plan.  Seriously.  And the reason I keep saying, seriously, is because I believe this plan can only be a benefit if it’s taken seriously.   I can, at this early stage of the plan see the importance of seriousness.  And I can also easily see that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail on this plan.  I finally see the reason for and the wisdom behind the size and weight and cost of this book and the length of time it took Pearl and Serene to write it.  It’s meant to be taken seriously.  Seriously, the plan is meant to be followed: seriously.

I’m guessing that this all might sound like I’m just playing around in order to see how many times and ways I might use the word, seriously.  Trust me, I’m not.  I guess I really and truly want to communicate that it’s not a plan to be dabbled with or that it’s not a plan to be taken lightly and  it’s not a plan to be undertaken without serious preparation.   There’s so much more to the book and plan than simply eating foods in correct combinations… more to it than “dieting” or eating lower carbs…  more to it than eliminating sugar or honey or white flour or potatoes or corn or whatever other high-glycemic index food you might think of.

Our local variety store annually sets up a huge school supplies section and taped to the shelves that are loaded with every kind of pen, pencil, paper, notebook, eraser, etc., etc., that you might think of are lists provided by local school teachers for what is expected for each student to purchase and bring with them to school each new school year.  The teachers are planners and they are serious about preparing students in advance with what will be expected of them.  This thought has come to me a number of times as I’ve come across yet another thing I don’t yet have in my Trim Healthy Kitchen.  I have a running supply list of food items I’m slowly acquiring.   And while I initially did have many of the necessary foods to follow the plan — I did not have a lot of ingredients to follow the plan successfully or seriously.  With each passing day I’m discovering more and more the investment of time and the depth of planning that went into this book and why it’s referred to a plan and not a diet.  Seriously.

So, this is my in advance encouragement if you’re planning to buy the Trim Healthy Mama book or if you think you’ll make it fine without spending the $35. to buy the book or if you think you’ll wing it with ingredients you have on hand in your pantry or fridge.   Sincerely, you won’t be able to work the plan if you don’t study it and if you’re not prepared.  Seriously.

If you really wanna be a THM… it’s going to cost you and you’re going to have to take it seriously.  It practically goes without saying: I know, for me, healthwise,  not planning was costing me a whole lot more than this new planning.  Seriously.

[Tip: Trim Healthy Mama Facebook]

THM… so much hope

teacuppamelaAs I press on, on the THM (Trim Healthy Mama) journey, I have so much hope.   I have so much hope bcz I’m so not alone and I’m so not seeing this as a diet but a different way of approaching health and nutrition.  I say this bcz I’ve experienced so many diets in the past.  And the difference, for me, with Trim Healthy Mama (after this, THM), is that it’s not a limited time diet.  By this I mean, it’s not the lemonade-type diet or the military-type diet or the mama with a wayward child/depression diet or the zone-type diet or name another type of diet that’s generally undertaken for a limited period of time and eventually the old way of eating returns.  And so do the pounds.

Now, why did I say I’m so not alone in this?  Easy… thousands of other women are implementing the THM plan in their own lives and homes and numerous websites, Facebook groups and Pinterest pins are dedicated to THM.   Women all over are sharing their successes, before and after’s, struggles, plans, recipes, suggestions and enthusiastic encouragement with relative strangers–but not strangers really,  who’re traveling the same journey.  Shared experiences give hope… shared understanding gives hope… all this gives women the motivation to press on.  All this, and more,  keeps me pressing on.

I’d hazard to guess that for a lot of women who seriously undertake the THM plan, there comes some sort of a day of reckoning, a day or time where they recognize that food and excess weight and out of control eating is symptomatic of deeper issues—things the Lord intends bring to the light and to help deal with—and what originally interested them in doing a new thing to lose weight, a different diet or whatever is not what keeps them on plan.  What keeps them (and now, me) on plan is the daily journey to health and yielding to the Lord the area of food and its stronghold–or previous stronghold.

I’m finding incredible freedom in not eating everything I want — freedom in recognizing that food had a stronghold on me and day by day I’m seeing this stronghold’s grip diminishing.   The Lord’s addressing some areas that don’t seem to have anything to do with food–but yet food’s been the outward stronghold.  See, here’s an example… I so often don’t didn’t want to “diet” bcz I love, love, love café mochas.  Love em.  Drink drank ’em every morning.  Yes, plural.  Yes, every morning. Hot milk, two pumps of chocolate and a long shot of coffee.  Drink, rinse, repeat.  Didn’t want to give ’em up—–couldn’t give ’em up—-wouldn’t give ’em up.  But I began to recognize that my delights were harming me–too much sugar was causing  problems and I knew I needed to make some changes.  I was loving the sugar but it wasn’t loving me back.  And isn’t that how sin is?  We give in and it mockingly smacks us on the backside.

Looking back, I really think I thought I’d make some changes and get on track and then be able to go back to the same ol’ same ol’ ways (especially since I’ve done this soooo many times).  That was foolishness–and I know it.  I really know it now.  Greater than all that, I now also know that the Lord was putting His finger on some deeper matters, using all of this to help me be willing to deal with other non-food related issues.  It is His mercy and lovingkindness to bring us to these places of correction and brokenness in our walk with Him.  It is for freedom He set us free.  I’d lost sight of that somewhere along the way.

Interestingly, what eventually brought me to THM began with that search for health remedies.  Still struggling with some ongoing health issues, still searching for solutions, I began to see frequent connections with the Trim Healthy Mama book.  Some of my Google searches  for low/no sugar or low glycemic index recipes took me to a few blogs/sites I thoroughly enjoy today — I didn’t initially see the THM connection!  Sadly, over the last year because of family busyness and other things, I hadn’t been tracking along with the Above Rubies site nor the progress of the writing of the THM book—though I’d seen copies of it here and there, recently.  Additionally, I regret I hadn’t been  in close touch with local friends who where already working the THM plan, else I might’ve had some questions answered earlier and I might’ve had some health issues addressed earlier, too.  But I have to continually affirm: I’m pressing on; no worries, I’m simply glad for the opportunity to have this book in hand now and I’m pressing on (with thousands of other women! ~smile~). I have so much hope… and I’m pressing on.

Trim Healthy Mama

teacuppamelaI’ve recently been on a new journey to *health!*  And, you know what the hardest part has been?  Deciding to take the first step WITH the intent to take each next step on the same journey.  So, if you’re not feeling well, if weight-gain or extra weight has plagued you—–and more importantly, if you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, maybe a new plan is in order for you, too.  It was/is for me and so I’ve begun this journey to health and healthy weight.  It’s incredibly easy…

So why am I including the following song?  Bcz food’s a sentimental thing for me.  Food’s my deal.  Food’s a draw to me… and a trap, too.  Food’s a comfort and a cage———-so I’m seeking to be free with food.  Free to make it, free to eat it and free to enjoy it.  But the greatest freedom I’m seeking is to have food be what it is: food.  Fuel.  Delicious fuel.  Delicious balanced, nutritious, sensible fuel.  And, for me, the book and method and lifestyle that is Trim Healthy Mama has been an incredible blessing.

So… my sentimental journey is learning how to remake favourite foods — redesign or adjust them to be healthful.  And if they can never be made to be healthful, then I want to have the grace to just leave off with thinking of them or thinking I’m somehow missing out on good things.  As I frequently say, good things are often the enemy of best things.  And for a Foodie… this is a huge step.  I’ll be posting about this from time to time……. Here’s to healthy living.  I know, right?!?!?!
Did she just say that?!??!

Link Potpourri

teacuppamela.pngMen Pleasers
I’ve often wondered how, or by what means, the church will be carried away — what will it look like when the elect are deceived (Mark 13.22) and who’ll deceive and be deceived (2Timothy 3.13).  When “An influential evangelical leader is coming under fire for saying in a NPR interview he believes in homosexual civil unions and that Christians who oppose same-sex marriage and abortion may still find reasons to support Obama.” the  church ought to take notice!

Perfect Turkey Every Time. No Kidding.
Was your Ts’giving turkey heavy-duty dry?  Well, if you’ll follow Mrs. King’s advice, you’ll never have to serve dry-as-shoe-leather turkey again. She explains it quite well — you’ll have to bookmark this one when you want to prepare your next turkey.

Browsing the News
Did you think OJ would ever be brought to justice?  Me neither.  The judge called him “arrogant and ignorant.”  I always wondered how this would play out.

Kaz humidifier & Vicks
I’ve been sick this week… coughing, coughing, coughing.  O, I’ve been taking it easy — I have this tremendous fear of a bout of pneumonia — so I take it easy when I have chest congestion like this.  So I have a Kaz cold-air humidifier going and for the last couple of nights my husband has been rubbing my feet with Vicks.  We’ve been told that doing so quiets coughs – and though I know it sounds like a hoax, I have slept better the last couple of nights and my feet feel terrific when I wake up!! ;o)  So, after my bath, he rubbed the Vicks on the bottom of my feet and then covered them with cotton socks.  Nice. Try it… if you’ve been coughing, maybe the Vicks will help you, too!

(I must say, though, with the humidifier going in our room, I was dreaming that I was on an jetliner and the steward was telling the passengers that the cabin would soon be pressurized and… yeah… different jetliner dreams all night. )

 pamelasig2.jpg

A Newsletter reprint

[Reprint of Doc Shillington’s Newsletter – http://www.organicsolutionsstore.com/ ]

quotebegin.gifOrganic  Solutions, Inc.

Volume 8   –   Issue 1
The   Future 

We live in interesting times.  The failure of World leaders to bring about World Peace has never been more evident than it is today.  The problems facing man look as if they are coming to a head all at once.  Inflation is soaring; Housing is in deep trouble; War looms on several fronts; and the quality of our Water, Food and Healthcare has gone out the bottom long ago.

Welllllllll, this is not a dissertation on “Doom and Gloom” and “how bad it all is”.   It’s simply a short essay on what YOU can DO to be CAUSATIVE over your own SURVIVAL, and help guarantee the Health of your loved ones.  In a previous article a few years back, I wrote a detailed list of what every family needs to have on hand in case of a dire emergency or disaster.  That list is still as good as gold, and available from my office if you don’t have a copy.  The following is an addition that expands upon it.

1.      Water:  Ensure you have a minimum of 25 gallons of distilled or purified water stored for every adult family member.  This is for drinking only.  Forget about bathing, or flushing toilets.  Dig a hole in the back yard and put an outhouse on it.  Water is your most precious commodity.  Also make certain you have a gravity-fed water purification system such as the Katadyn or the Aqua Rain.  These purify water sources such as ponds or rainwater.  Our Office carries the Aqua Rain should you need one.

2.      FOOD:  A three (3) months supply of wholesome, organic Food is mandatory for every single person in the family.  This can be in the form of dehydrated grains, seeds, nuts, meats, fruits, and veggies.  They can be vacuum packed for an even longer shelf life.  Organic Canned Foods and Baby Foods will also fit the bill here, and these can be purchased at your closest Healthfood Store.  I can’t emphasize strongly enough – make sure all of these foods are 100% ORGANIC!!!

3.      Seeds:  You can buy Organic / Heirloom Seeds or save the ones you get from the Organic Fruits and Veggies you purchase or grow. These keep quite a while and are a must for your future food needs.  Some of the easier Organic seeds to save are: Peppers, Squash, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Papaya, and Grape.   Start growing a garden NOW, if you’re not doing so already.  Grow only those plants that will produce more seeds.  Stay away from Hybrids as these are produced by artificially cross-pollinating plants. Hybrids were supposedly created to improve certain characteristics of a particular variety of plant, such as better yield, greater uniformity, improved color, disease resistance, and so on.  Today, Hybrid seeds are predominant in agriculture and home gardening, and it is claimed to be one of the main contributing factors to the dramatic rise in agricultural output during the last half of the 20th century.  Don’t touch these seeds with a 10-foot pole since Hybrid seed cannot be saved.  The seeds from the first generation of Hybrid plants do not reliably produce true copies or offspring.  Therefore, new seeds must be purchased for each planting.  This can be used as a way to control us by not allowing us to save and replant our seeds.  Therefore we are wholly dependent upon seed sellers such as Monsanto and must buy whatever they give us each year.  Many of these seeds are “Genetically Modified” and “Round-up Ready” which means they will not grow unless you spray them with “Round-up”, a highly poisonous pesticide that kills weeds while activating the seed to grow.  At this point, you are not only locked into purchasing their seeds, you are now a slave to buying their “Round-Up” pesticide from thereon out. This could mean no seeds to plant or not having the choice to grow organically or save your own seeds.

4.      Firearms:  These are a twofold “must-have” that should be obvious.  Not only can your food supplies eventually run out and hunting becomes an absolute necessity, you may possibly get into a situation where you need to defend yourself and your family.  If you would like more detailed information regarding excellent but inexpensive firearms for survival, send me a private email or note. 

5.      Tools:  You’ve got to have an axe.  If I was only allowed one tool, it would be an axe.  Chainsaws and power tools are fine, but they require either gas or electricity of which there is only a limited supply.  My wife Valorie, who is a top-notch gardener, swears that you can never have too many hand tools. J Garden tools, spades, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, and the like are not only fun for you and the kids, but they could very well mean the difference in living well or barely getting by.  Hammers, Chisels, Saws, Wrenches, Vise Grips, and a good supply of nails and screws need to be on your shopping list if you don’t already have these on hand.

6.      Medical Kit:  You can’t have too many bandages, antiseptics, or painkillers on hand.  Believe me, this is one of those scenarios, where if you DON’T have a Med Kit, you’ll darn well need it for certain.  It is the prepared ship that never sinks. 

7.      Herbal Remedies:  A 3 (three) month supply of Total Nutrition, Echinacea, TotalTonic, Intestinal Cleanse, Cayenne, Lobelia, and our Body Balance+ Formula are the bare bones minimum.  I know at least a dozen families that keep a six-month supply of each of these on hand at all times and just rotate their stock every month.  They call up about every 4 weeks and order at least one of each and use up the oldest stock in their pantry first.  The shelf life on each of these is many YEARS.  To make sure of this, I’d recommend storage in a cool dark place.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have other remedies such as the Deep Tissue Repair Oil, or the Total Healing Poultice Powder, or the Tooth and Gum Formula, or the Nerve Sedative Formula, etc. it only means you’ve got to have the necessities as above.  Each can be a lifesaver!

One friend told me that they have Total Nutrition on the TOP of their monthly shopping list before the purchase of any other food.  This only makes sense because you can literally live off this wonderful food.  None of the above can be overlooked, and I want all of my friends to survive the coming years.  The Future can be very bright, and I hope this helps. 

Yours in Knowledge, Health and Freedom,

Doc

Disclaimer:  The above information is for educational purposes only, is not intended to serve as medical advice, and has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA or the AMA.  The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.  No warranties, expressed or implied, are offered with any services, products or information supplied by Dr. Shillington, his staff or Organic Solutions, Inc.  If you are ill or suspect you may have a health problem, it is recommended that you seek the advice of your health care provider. 

Copyright © 2008 by Ian Shillington N.D.  All rights reserved. 

 

****************This letter is simply food for thought, ideas you might want to consider simply for your own use as you wisely consider the days ahead… THIS IS NOT an endorsement of the “Church of Scientology” or a pass on the possible contradictions to the Bible or the Lord Jesus — or any other unintended links – related links to Doc Shillington************   His work appears to be authentic, ideas appear to be sound in terms of basic “survival.”  This newsletter was interesting to me and I think you might **********glean********** what you can from it as the LORD God leads you and your family.