Legacy of Caring

I was recently in NYC for a blogging/social media conference.  Johnson and Johnson was there and requested some bloggers to make videos describing something that they care about.  Naturally, those living with chronic illness are frequently on my heart {although I had to quickly decide to talk about that OR foster care OR human trafficking OR the bazillion other things that I care about and pierce my heart}.

I chose to speak about how living WELL with chronic illness is something I am passionate about. It is easy to get depressed and caught up in the negative aspects of illness.  I much prefer to focus on the blessings{and I think it is ultimately better for my health that way}.

Here is the clip of my interview:

What is an issue you care deeply about?  I would love to know so please leave me a comment!

Silent Inflammation- Interview with Dr. Sears

Yesterday, I had the privilege to interview Dr. Barry Sears (MD), author of several books including New York Times bestseller, The Zone.   

As someone that lives with autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus), which have been linked to chronic inflammation, I had a lot of questions for the doctor and looked forward to hearing his perspective.  Other common illnesses with a connection to chronic inflammation are diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

I started by thanking Dr. Sears for voicing the theory that the mantra of “eat less, exercise more” does not work for everyone when it comes to weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle.  Instead, Dr. Sears believes that an anti-inflammatory diet is the key to being healthy.

He talked about the cultural attitude that those that are overweight are “morally inferior” when in actuality, in many cases, they are genetically predisposed to carry weight.  Dr. Sears further asserts that “ancient genes” are triggered by the very foods that we are encouraged to eat.

Dr. Sears gave me three steps that everyone can take to reverse the affects of chronic inflammation in their bodies in 30 days.  Yes, three simple steps can reverse a nasty physiological process that can cause serious health issues (SO LISTEN UP).

1. Remove all (omega-6 fatty acids) vegetable oil from your pantry.  Throw them out.  This includes vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, margarine, etc.  Substitute olive oil, slivered almonds and guacamole in their place.  (I would add you can substitute applesauce for oil as well, but that is per MultiTasking Mama)
2. Take (omega-3) fish oil every day.  Dr. Sears said our great grandma’s had it right when they recommended a tablespoon a day.  Fish oil has natural anti-inflammatory properties and is an important supplement.
3. Rebalance your diet.  Our diets need to be the correct balance of protein to carbohydrates.  Dr. Sears pointed out that our bodies produce the same insulin response to whole grain carbohydrates as they do refined flours. (I am still sticking with my whole grains but need to work on the balance concept)  When asked how can you know if you have struck the right balance in your diet, Dr. Sears said that if you have no hunger for 4-6 hours after a meal then you have eaten a well balanced meal.

He admits that “it is easier to get people to change religion then to change their diet” but points to the importance of taking what we eat seriously.  Obesity is an epidemic and he attributes this to our love for the “3 P’s- pizza, pasta and pastry”.  We need to educate ourselves on how the food we eat interact with our genes and our hormones.  People need to be on an anti-inflammatory diet for the rest of their lives. 

You can read more about all of this at Dr. Sear’s website and follow him on Twitter. 

I was not compensated for this post.  I was given the opportunity to interview Dr. Sears through the RoleMommy network and was happy to pass the information along to my readers. 

Listening to the still, small voice

I have been having some (not so fun) issues with my left leg in the last few weeks.  My doctor(s) attributed it to my MS and put me on a steroid dose pack.  While that reduced the swelling on the MRI, it did not resolve the problem.  What is the problem? Muscle atrophy.

Atrophy (according to Wikipedia) is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body (in this case my left leg).

God has a whole post about atrophy in His body (the church) swirling around in my brain.  But, that will come at another time.

This post is about how God speaks to us.  He didn’t just speak to people in Bible times and then stop.  His Holy Spirit lives in us and guides us- if we listen.

Yesterday, returning from the doctor I was not in a happy place.  Trying to digest the fact that my muscle is atrophy-ing (no idea if that is a word) and they don’t know why and they don’t know how to stop it was overwhelming.  Making the appointments for all the tests they want to do to figure out the cause of the problem was overwhelming.  Trying to figure out how to discuss all this with my husband without him panicking was overwhelming.  Letting myself think of how unfair it is to have MS, Lupus and now- something else causing this issue- was overwhelming.

I had brought my Bible along for the ride (cause I can’t drive right now) but couldn’t bring myself to open it.  I did, however, turn on the radio and one of my favorite songs that we sing at church came on.  The song is “I will Rise” by Chris Tomlin.  There are many words that instantly touched my heart but here is the line that grabbed my soul:

There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well”

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

Overwhelmed?  How about the fact that Jesus overwhelmed the grave?  That is overwhelming, not my temporary, temporal circumstances.

Feeling still a tad angry, I said to God “help me”.  And three words came to my mind (and I know that I know that I know God put them there)

Check your medications.

Clear as day and something that none of my doctor’s had bothered to do.  As soon as I got home I googled muscle wasting and the names of my medications.  Second med I typed in had a big warning about this problem.  Not trusting myself, I called my pharmacy.  My pharmacist researched it, called me back and said “Call your doctor right now.  You need to have some blood work done”.

Yes, I have called my doctor and yes, they are on top of it.

But, isn’t God awesome?  And, what if I had continued in my overwhelming pity party and not reached out to Him?  Would I have heard that still, small voice?

Hearing God is a finer thing!

Flowers fade

I am not a gardener.

I am pretty sure both my thumbs are black.

When we downsized and moved in December, I didn’t pay much attention the landscaping on our new home’s lot.

I was so pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago when pretty pink bushes bloomed out front.  A luscious purple bush in the back, with a perfect view from the screened in porch. And then, my favorite, the bluish purple flowers that are weaving their way up our lamp post in the front yard.

I am not a gardener.

I don’t know a chrysanthemum from a forsynthia but I do know pretty when I see it.

I appreciate the beauty of the flowers and at the same time I realize that under my lethal eye, those plants probably won’t last long.

My flower has faded these past few days.  Withered in pain and fatigue from an illness that is sneaky and demanding.

And, the gift of today is knowing that no matter what flower fades in my life, my God and His Word are the same.  Yesterday. Today. Forever.

What a gift.

  Join us in unwrapping our gifts here today.

Healthy Family, Healthy Meals

Ever since my diagnosis of MS in January 2008, our family has been on a journey toward healthier living.  That journey got a jumpstart last week when I watched a movie called Food Inc.  I have since shown it to my hubby and the boys and they are on board with revamping the food we eat- I, at least, want to know where that food comes from!

We were already eating whole grains, had cut back drastically on sugar and cut back on red meat.  After watching that movie and doing some research of my own, we have decided to go organic and buy our meat and veggies from local farmers. 

We are concerned with how this will affect our food budget.  As most of my readers know I pride myself on feeding our family with a $350/month food budget.  That is accomplished by a lot of couponing, shopping sales and menu planning.  I will still be employing all three of those strategies but it is much more difficult to find coupons for organic items.

Here are some tips I have learned so far:

• Stock up when organic meat and dairy are on sale. Organic milk has a longer shelf life than regular milk and milk can be frozen for up to three months.  I will be watching for sales and coupons and stocking up when milk is on sale.
• One site recommended buying your veggies at a farmers market towards the end of the day.  Many farmers will decrease their prices to reduce the amount of inventory they have to take home with them.
• A great site for information about buying safe food is www.foodnews.org
• When you are buying beef look for the seal of the American Grassfed Association and for poultry look for the word “pastured”.

There is a list called the dirty dozen.  This is produce that contains the most pesticides and is the most harmful to the consumer.  Those are:

1. peaches
2. celery
3. cherries
4. grapes
5. apples
6. nectarines
7. kale
8. carrots
9. green bell peppers
10. strawberries
11. lettuce
12. peas

It is worth your money to buy those twelve items organic or from a farmer’s market.

There are some veggies/fruits that are okay to buy from the grocery store (this will be a way to save money).  They are:

• onions
• cabbage
• pineapples
• broccoli
• avocadoes
• eggplant
• watermelon
• asparagus
• sweet potatoes
• kiwis
• papayas
• mangoes
• tomatoes

I am learning so much about how our food is produced, what is healthy and how the food industry can be very misleading to the average consumer. 

I would love for you to enlighten me about anything you know about going organic that I may not have learned yet,  especially about how you buy organic on a budget.  I will be sure to keep you posted about our journey as well.  You can read our menu plans on my organizing blog.

Sleep is a beautiful thing

For the last three weeks I have been planning an event (God gave me the idea, never mentioned the scope) that benefitted an organization very important to me- Young Lives.  Last night we held the event at our local mall, in conjunction with the National Mom’s Nite Out.  The culmination of hard work, excitement and a VERY successful event left me- in ONE word- exhausted!

The good kind of exhausted but exhausted none the less. 

And, the best thing about today, the finer thing, is that I slept until 11am.  My kids got themselves off to school and even snuck in and turned off my alarm so I didn’t wake up.  (one of the benefits of having adolescents and a hubby who gives them great ideas).

With chronic illness I can’t afford to stay exhausted. So today, I am so grateful for an understand family and a comfortable bed!

Steps toward a natural lifestyle

I haven’t liked getting my hands dirty since I was a little girl.  Gardening? Yuck!  I even mix meatloaf with a spoon.  Up until recently, I didn’t like to get anything under my french manicured nails (did you know all the chemicals in acrylic nails?  I do now and haven’t had them on in four months).

In 2008 things changed.  I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and nearly lost my life to a pulmonary embolism (that turned out to be related to a clotting disorder and systemic lupus).

I started looking at life and health a lot differently.  I discovered that I was deficient in several (important) vitamins and minerals.  In order to live my best life and insure that I am around to watch my kids grow up, I needed to change the way I viewed the world.

I started reading books on alternative medicine, diet and natural living.

And we started making changes as a family.  In the last two years we have switched to whole grains, gotten rid of artificial sweeteners, drastically reduced our red meat intake, and started paying attention to the ingredients on the foods and other products we buy.  We use natural cleaning products.  Many times I clean my kitchen with a simple vinegar and water mixture.

I take vitamin D, vitamin b12 injections, I have visited acupuncturists, I exercise, I drink lots of water and everyday I take more baby steps towards a natural, healthy lifestyle.

The hubby and I are even planting a small produce garden this year (I have pretty pink gardening gloves, in case you were wondering).

I know that taking control of my health and our quality of life is achievable.  And it is companies like Seed that inspire me to keep moving forward.  One baby step at a time, towards the best life possible.

This post is my entry to the Seed BlogHer ’10 sponsorship contest and is posted at Hip As I Wanna Be.

Fatigue, Frustration and Faith

I am tired.

The kind of tired that you feel in your bone marrow.  The kind of tired that no one understands if they do not have chronic illness.  The kind of tired that isn’t phased by a three hour nap.

I have a tendency to push myself.  Goes back to the whole recovering Type A, over achieving, perfection seeking sinner that I am in the flesh.  Frustration creeps in, its sneaky, sticky fingers wrapping around my thoughts.

All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.  My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. {Psalm 38:9-10}

Hot tears of irritation burn my eyes.  I don’t want to be so tired. I don’t want to be sick.  I don’t want to live like this.

Not because I feel like I deserve better. Not because I think it’s unfair. But because I could do and accomplish and help so much more if…

And, I come full circle in this cycle of fatigue, frustration and faith.

For here is the truth:

My desire to “do” for God is unnecessary.  A burden I place on myself.  For what God wants is me.  And, time and time again I prove that the only way to reach me is to slow me down.  So He does.  And, eventually I yield to His desire for me to just be.

Not do.  Not accomplish.  Not help.

Just be.

Be still and know that I am God. {Psalm 46:10}

Today, I am unwrapping the gift that is multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus.  The gift of chronic fatigue that forces allows me moments to just be with my God.

This post is linked here.

National Napping Day

The title of this post is not a joke!  I am so excited to join Global Influence in announcing that today is National Napping Day.

As someone living with invisible illness, napping is an essential part of most every day for me.  I usually take a nap before the kids get home from school so I can give them the best of me.  Fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms of MS (and lupus) that I display on most days.

The really cool thing about National Napping Day is that it is for everyone.  So, all you tired mama’s have permission to take a break today (and a nap!)

One company is acknowledging this special day with a giveaway!  Protect-A-Bed has decided to make National Napping Day even sweeter with a giveaway of their mattress pad.  Below are some details about Protect-A-Bed and their products.

Napping Day is the first Monday after daylight saving time begins. It’s the day when the majority of us, a bit weary from losing an hour of sleep, desperately long for a short siesta. And, those of us at Protect-A-Bed believe you should cave to that longing.

Studies abound tout the benefits of napping, from enhancing memory and learning, to improving work performance, and increasing mental acuity and overall health. That’s why on the first Monday after daylight saving time begins, it’s fitting to celebrate the benefits of the nap and those who take them.

However, those who nap the best understand a sleeping place needs protection from allergens and dust mites. After all, waking from a nap with the sniffles is no way to wake up at all.

Research shows 10 percent of the general public and as many as 90 percent of people with allergic asthma (depending on the study you read) have an allergy to dust mites. And, dust mites love spoiling our napping refuge, taking up residence in mattresses and pillows. In fact, as many as two million dust mites can thrive in an unprotected mattress.

Besides dust mites, it’s not unusual for other allergy triggers like pollen and pet dander to become trapped within mattresses. By using a mattress protector, allergy sufferers can create an impermeable barrier between themselves and the allergens within their bed. By coupling mattress protection with pillow protectors that seal allergens within pillows, people can create a virtually allergy-free nap space.

So today, harness the creative power that comes from napping, and embrace your inner Da Vinci. And remember, the art of napping needs a canvas, and that canvas comes from Protect-A-Bed.

About Protect-A-Bed®

Protect-A-Bed offers consumers a complete line of protective bedding products to create a Healthy Sleep Zone. The unique technology featured in Protect-A-Bed’s mattress and pillow protectors was developed in South Africa in 1980 before the company was officially established in the United States in 2000. Now selling in 27 countries, Protect-A-Bed is a worldwide leader in mattress protection innovation. The company developed the proprietary Miracle Membrane® and patented Bug Lock® and Secure Seal®, which help create a dry, bed bug free, anti-allergy sleep zone for people of all ages. Protect-A-Bed products are listed as a Class 1 Medical Device with the Food and Drug Administration and have received the Good Housekeeping Seal. For more information, visit www.protectabed.com.

Pretty cool, huh?  Protect-A-Bed is offering two contests today.

1.  Follow protect_a_bed on Twitter and use the hashtag #nappingday anytime today (Monday, March 15) and share the funniest place you have ever taken a nap.  Tweeting this will give you the chance to win a set of Premium Pillowcase Protectors for Protect-A-Bed.

2.  Leave a comment on this post telling me why you need a nap between today March 15, 2010 and Friday March 19, 2010 for a chance to win Queen Size Protect-A-Bed Premium Mattress Cover (a $79.99 value).  This giveaway is open to US residents only and winner will be chosen via random.org on Saturday March 20. 

Thanks to Protect-A-Bed for this awesome giveaway opportunity!  I am off for —you guessed it—a nice, long nap =)

**I partnered with Global Influence for this campaign and received a Protect-A-Bed mattress protector for review and one to giveaway to a reader.  All opinions expressed are mine and are not influenced by receiving the product.**

What is this blog for anyway?

I arrived home from Blissdom with a heavy heart.

Mind you, I had a fabulous time (with a capital F) and learned a lot.

I also realized that I had strayed from my passions- the passions that led me to start this blog in the first place almost two years ago.  I have been working on shifting my focus back to sharing life from my heart with my readers.  (All my product reviews, giveaways, professional organizing advice, etc. will be on my professional organizing site starting March 1st.)

I blog about life.

Life as an adoptive mom of a child with severe emotional and behavioral issues, life as a mama of all boys, life as a mama of all tween/teen boys, life as a wife, life with multiple sclerosis and lupus, life as a former foster child, high school drop out turned teen mom who found Jesus and has never been the same since!

I blog about cutting through the clutter of life…the things that distract us from seeing and enjoying the life and purpose God has for us. When I speak at mom’s groups and women’s events, I usually am either sharing my testimony or sharing how to get control of your calendar, manage your time, set realistic goals and priorities and handle money the way God intended.

I’m glad you stopped by if you are here from Kelly’s Korner and invite you to read my About Me page and/or listen to my intro video to learn a little more about me and this here blog ‘o mine.

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