Arthritis, Hyperactivity and Inflammation?

Hi,

I've been so perplexed lately. God has healed our allergies, but we still seem to be having some reactions to certain foods. Confusing. Are we healed or not? Am I praying for the wrong thing or the wrong way?

Well, last night after prayer, I had an idea. I know we've been healed from the allergies, but what if these symptoms we are having have nothing to do with allergies at all? What if they had to do with inflammation -- not just in the joints or tissues, but in the central nervous system? Could these foods that we still seem to be sensitive to actually be inflammatory and that be our problem?

We did some muscle testing on me and discovered that it seems to be so. Asking the inflammatory question, I discovered I need to eliminate cooked tomato products, potatoes (nightshades), wheat and citrus. Milk is out, but cheese, yogurt and pure sour cream are ok. Lemons are ok. Bacon and oats are out. Real ham is ok.

I'm going to do some reasearch and see if there are other foods I need to watch out for.

List of Anti-inflammatory Foods

Top 11 Anti-inflammatory Foods

Reducing Inflammation -- The Natural Approach

This article is on the causes of inflammation. I've used this site before, it's the same as above, just a different article.

This is a nice list of anti-inflammatory foods. She even has it so you can download and print it out. Neat!

What I've found is that I've pretty much covered it -- we need to avoid white flour, regular oatmeal, processed foods, nightshades and uncultured dairy products like milk and ice cream.

We need to increase as able: Garlic and onion, olive oil, ginger, tuna and salmon, broccoli and its cousins, salad, cherries, blueberries, turmeric, and green tea. Phew!

I'll try to get on and post my results and my son's results as able. He's so much better than when I began posting about him about a year ago, but he's not all the way "regulated."

This is a very interesting article about ADD, which I'm not saying my son has, but it does have some good information about a "milk test" and how Omega-3 fatty acids are used by the brain.

Enough for now. I have work to do!

Blessings,

Sharron

Super Quick Low Carb Cheesecake with Mandarin Oranges

I had to come up with a dessert to bring to a training meeting recently and this is what I brought.

In a bowl, combine:

1 envelope Knox gelatine

12 packets Truvia sweetener

1 cup boiling water

Stir it occasionally, allowing the gelatin to dissolve, for about 5 minutes

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, combine till fluffy:

2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture until they are completely combined. The mixture will be very runny at this point. Pour it into 9" pie pan and chill it for about 20 minutes.

Drain the juice from:

1 12-ounce (approximately) can mandarin oranges, juice packed if possible

Place the oranges on the top of the dessert in a decorative fashion. Chill the cheesecake until it is firm, for about 3 hours.

Optional: You could use a baked low carb pie crust and use this for the filling.

Serve and Enjoy!

c2009 Sharron Long, author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine, available where books are sold

Thick and Chunky Spaghetti Sauce

Thick and Chunky Spaghetti Sauce

I was asked to write this recipe down, so here goes! It serves about 10.

Brown 3 to 4 pounds of ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain it, if necessary.

Add 1 medium sized onion, 1/2" dice and the tops of one bunch of celery, 1/2" dice (about 1 1/2 cups)

Add olive oil to the pan if necessary to keep the meat and veggies from sticking.

Add:

1 - 24 ounce jar pasta sauce or tomato sauce (ie., Prego, etc. -- be sure it is gluten free)

3 - 18 ounce cans diced tomatoes (with herbs and garlic, etc. is fine)

1 teaspoon each marjoram, oregano, thyme (flakes), basil or 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (fresh)

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Cover the pan and allow it to simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour. Skim off any fat that comes to the surface, if desired.

Serve this sauce over pasta or as a filling for "sloppy Joes," if you aren't low carb. If you are, serve it over cooked cabbage, a cooked chicken breast or green beans. Be creative -- this is a versitile sauce!

It freezes well.

Enjoy!

c2009 Sharron Long, author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine, available where books are sold

Sharron's World Famous Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi,

This recipe has never been published by me before, so here goes!  It is most definitely NOT low carb, gluten or sugar free.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a large bowl, combine:

4 1/4 cups flour (whole wheat pastry, preferred)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

In a mixing bowl on medium speed, combine until creamy, about 2 minutes:

1 1/4 cups sugar (organic preferred)

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 1 /2 cups butter, softened

Add and mix another minute or so till well combined:

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed, fully incorporating each addition before adding the next.

By hand or with a paddle, add:

2 cups chocolate chips ("extra special dark" preferred)

Use 1/4 cup measure or scoop and place cookies approximately 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies until they are just becoming golden. Remove them from the oven and allow them to rest on the pan for about 2 minutes or until they are able to be transferred. Spread paper towels covered with wax paper and place the cookies on it to cool. Store the cookies once cooled in air tight containers with paper towels or wax paper between the layers.

This is most definitely not a low carb recipe :)

Enjoy!

c2009 Sharron Long author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine, available where books are sold.

Nuts N' Bolts Snack Mix Recipe

Hi,

This is not a low carb recipe, but rather just a snack mix I like to have on hand for kids and company. This recipe makes a double batch.  It is also NOT gluten free.

Melt 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add to the melted butter:

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons seasoning salt

1 tablespoon total from the following: Rosemary, garlic granules, thyme, celery seed, basil

Set the mixture aside.

In a large bowl mix:

12 cups "cereal" from the following: Cheerios, Chex, pretzels, chow mein noodles, Cheezits, Mini Shredded Wheat, etc.

3 cups peanuts

Pour the melted butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir well. Pour onto a large baking sheet with a rim and bake at 250F for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Alternate "rush method:" Pour the coated cereal mixture into a 9"x13"x2" baking pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Pour the baked mixture onto a large baking sheet with a rim and bake an additional 5 minutes uncovered at 250F to crisp.

Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Enjoy!

c2009 Sharron Long and Adams Media Corp.

Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

I bumped into a recipe for black bean brownies on the internet a few months ago. I made them, and they were okay as written. You know me, though, always wanting to improve things! This is my take on that recipe.  My kids call them "Mommy's Beanie Brownies."

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Melt together over low heat in a small saucepan:

3 ounces (squares) unsweetened baking chocolate (not Baker's brand)

1/2 cup butter

When they are melted, remove them from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, grind in a blender on low speed:

1/4 cup flax seeds to make 1/2 cup (or just use 1/2 cup flaxseed meal)

Pour the ground flax seeds into a small bowl and stir in:

8 packets Truvia sweetener

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend on low speed in a blender container for about 30 seconds:

1 - 18 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (yield about 1 1/4 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons molasses (sorghum molasses if you are allergic to sugar)

1/3 cup agave nectar

Pour this mixture into a mixing bowl and mix in the flax seed and chocolate mixtures on medium speed.

Add and mix well:

2 eggs (or 2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)

Add, and mix until combined:

1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips (sugar free chocolate chips)

1/2 to 1 cup broken walnut meats

They are really chunky with 1 cup each of the additions, not so much with 1/2 cup.

Pour the batter into a 9x9x2 square pan prepared with cooking oil spray and smooth the top. Bake the brownies at 325F for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted off-center comes out clean. You can serve these warm drizzled with cream for a "pudding cake" effect or chill them and they are almost like fudge.

Enjoy!

cSharron Long Author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine, available where books are sold

Lost 4.4 pounds overnight!

You may or may not remember, but before we left WA I was playing around with my sister's "diet secret." She's lost something like 35 pounds quite easily over the past 6 months simply by having beans at a meal each day. What I discovered is if I have flax, lettuce salad and beans (not together!!) at some point during the day, I always lose.

Yesterday was the first day since we got here that I was able to do my "magic formula." My body apparently appreciated it! I dropped 4.4#!

So, today I'm contemplating making some more of those flax cookies (recipe posted previously) and black bean brownies... (I'll post recipe if I'm successful at modifying it.)

Menu yesterday for those interested:

b- flax cereal (in my book)

l- navy bean soup made with carrots, onions and pork sausage (I can post recipe if you want)

sn- leftover chicken salad, some snack mix and a blonde brownie (real)

d- crunch tacos with beans/meat, chz and lettuce. Extra lettuce.

sn- kettle corn (in my book), a few chips & ranch dip, coconut macaroons (made w/organic sugar)

Now I just need to keep this trend going... It is hard when I'm not cooking for myself! That's why I'm going to make some snacks that include my "magic" foods :)

Blessings,

Sharron

It's been a while and a lot has happened!

Hi!

So much has happened since I last posted! That "other interview" we had ended up being "the" job for us, but it wasn't easy. We had three offers on the table plus a couple more came in while we were crossing the country. When Pastor Calvin prophecied that it would be like a big barn door swinging open, I thought that meant it would happen quickly. It did, but what I didn't think about what was in the barn. In that barn were a lot of choices for us to make. Cami, from the Grassy Creek Blue Grass Band, prayed for us and told us not to take the first job we were offered. That was hard, too! After being unemployed since March, it was really hard not to accept that job. And that job I mentioned last time was so tempting. The salary is fully twice what we ended up accepting.

We are very happily in ministry now with a lovely home and nice friends. The place has a terrific training program and we are just about finished with it. We started here on August 25 after driving across the country for five days. It was a grueling trip, but we made it. I was having trouble with the SUV pulling and shaking, but Dan kept assuring me it was okay. Well, when we got here, he drove it. He decided it was not okay. When he checked the tires, he found steel showing! I am so thankful we didn't have a complete blow-out while we were on the road. The Lord really protected us.

We will begin as "respite care" providers then in late January or early February we will begin to get our own kids. I'm so thrilled that the Lord has opened this door for us. Bless his name!

Interesting Happenings!

We've got a lot going on with the job hunt. We had a great interview with an organization in IA yesterday. It isn't one I would have picked, but if it worked out, it would be great. The salary is amazing!

Then at lunch we got another phone call from another organization. She basically told me, "We're ready to move on this. We're ready to hire. What do you want to do?" I was quite taken aback! We arranged an interview for this afternoon at 1pm. This is a place that fits what we've been looking for to a "T." They have all the things we were wanting. The salary isn't as much as the other place, but we don't need that kind of money.

Also, we still have an interview with another place tomorrow, plus the dozens of applications we have out floating around!

Remedy update: I've not noticed much difference in my sleep, though I did a bit better last night. I have noticed an improvement in my ankle, and I don't seem to be running to the bathroom so often. Also, my shoulder and ribcage seem to be improving.

More updates later, I'm sure!

Blessings,

Sharron

Remedies

Yesterday, I wrote about finding that ABC Homeopathy site. I purchased another remedy for my husband, son, dog and cat. Kind of ironic, they all needed the same one! It actually came up for me, but I didn't fit the profile. I had trouble matching my husband, so I'm just giving it my best guess. I don't know about the people, but the animals seemed to respond right away. Toby immediately felt better. He started bouncing around the house and running around like a puppy. Cocoa, the cat, has also been very friendly and has shown no evidence of itching since I've been up this morning. I'm giving 30c of sulphur 1x per week to the dog and cat to help them with the fleas. We did Frontline Plus a couple of days ago, but they were still very itchy and sore. I read that the sulphur is supposed to keep them from reinfesting (possibly), and it is supposed to help them heal from the bites and stop itching. I'll give it 3x a day to my husband and son. We are watching for less back pain for both of them and better sleep patterns.

I don't know if it had anything to do with the remedy yesterday or not, but I took three naps! I had very good energy, but when I sat down and put my feet up, I slept! I did ice my foot, and that always puts me to sleep, so that was probably it. Also, my ankle was noticibly less swollen than usual. Icing doesn't make a difference in that, so I'm thinking it is the remedy. That is one of the areas it is supposed to target. My energy was so good that I was zipping around like I haven't done in years!

I did not sleep well last night, but I think I had too many carbs. I don't think it had anything to do with the remedy.

OK, that's it for now. Time to go fill out more applications...

Blessings,

Sharron

Low Carb Chocolate Chip Flax Pancakes

Hi!

I'm trying to incorporate more flax into my diet and wanted something different for breakfast, so here it is.  This is not a soy free recipe, and I wouldn't trust soy protein to be gluten free unless it states so on the package.

Low Carb Chocolate Chip Flax Pancakes

Dry ingredients:

1/3 cup flax seeds ground to 2/3 cup or 2/3 cup flax seed meal

1/3 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup soy protein isolate

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon SteviaPlus

2 packets Splenda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Wet ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup cream thinned to 1 cup with water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Sugar free chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. In another small bowl, combine the wet ingredients, then add them all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir them well, then let the batter rest for a few minutes so it can thicken up. You might need to add more water 1 tablespoon at a time to get it to the desired consistency. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle and sprinkle about 10 - 12 chocolate chips on each pancake before flipping them. Serve hot with butter or peanut butter and sugar free syrup. For an extra treat, if you can manage the carbs, add some banana slices. Yum!

To me, these tasted like a really good whole grain pancake. I hope you enjoy them!

Blessings,

Sharron

Doing well and a new "favorite" site!

I'm doing well. I've continued to improve with the adrenal treatment, but did seem to hit some sort of stall or stalemate. I have had trouble getting back on track with the diet. I did start the three days with my friends then we got flown to another State for a job interview. We didn't get the job, but it was a wonderful experience with terrific folks! It gave us a good taste of what we are hoping to get into, career-wise. I stayed perfectly on track while we were gone, but when we got home, I lost it. I just couldn't seem to go a whole day "on-track" food-wise. I've re-started as of yesterday. I can't say I've done perfectly, but I'm certainly giving it my best and I'm not giving up.

My plan is to do CAD -- eat basic Low Carb then allow myself dessert at dinner if we have something like that. I want to have a serving of legumes (beans) and a serving of flax each day if I can get it in.

I'm still having issues. My three worst are getting up a lot at night, a nagging cough and sleepiness during the day (fatigue.) I decided to see if I could find a homeopathic remedy for the first and I found this wonderful site: ABC Homeopathy. It has a section where it "interviews" you like having a formal meeting with a practicing Homeopath! Really rather phenomenal... I picked those worst three symptoms and did the assessment. I found my remedy (causticum) and went to Whole Foods and purchased 30C dosage.

It was amazing. Just like the very first time I had a homeopathic remedy from Dr. Prem Dev back 12 years ago! The first thing I noticed was a clearing of my vision. I can read small print I couldn't read earlier today now. Also, I saw my chiropractor today after my remedy. My whole body adjusted better than it has been doing unless I'm medicated with pain meds of some sort (naproxen usually.) She was impressed. I noticed an immediate increase in energy and a relaxation at the same time. I told my daughter it was like I could either go for a swim or take a nap at the same time! I took another dosage this evening and I walked faster and more exuberantly than I have in probably 4 or 5 years -- since before I injured my ankle. I only needed to stop and rest once and that was when we were walking on pavement.

I thought maybe I should re-take the test, thinking about my ankle and spine. When I did, I came up with some of the same remedies as before, but not the main one. Then, I decided to look up the properties of causticum. Wow! It is like all my symptoms are there!! Even some of the crazy things that happened to me in my youth, (right side paralysis specifically), are listed. It is really wild, unimaginable, but it is there nevertheless.

I'm going to try to get my hubby and my son to do the assessment and maybe there will be a remedy for their issues as well??