Introducing My Lifestyle

Many of you have been asking 

"What do you eat?" 
"How did you lose weight?"
"Are you sure you can't eat this, eat that?"

I have lost 30 pounds in a little over 3 months. This has become my reward for a change in my lifestyle that was a priority to make. I had been suffering since 2002 with terrible stomach issues. We won't even go there. But trust me or ask my family, friends and co-workers....it was imperative something change. Doctors couldn't help me, removing my gallbladder couldn't help me, medication couldn't help me. Only prayer and eliminating foods by trial and error mixed with years of research have I been able to calm the monster within. 

While I am not 100% well, and let's face it, I may never be. I am 75% better and to me, that is AMAZING and life changing. I actually caught myself several times thinking something was wrong with me because I haven't been used to my new tummy. I guess I thought I should be spending more time in the restroom...as I always did. But anyway, said we weren't going there. SO....

Here are some of the foods I have in my home

Notice:

1. No Dairy

2. 75-85% Gluten Free

3. Organic

4. Free Range Products

5. Non-GMO products

6. Little to absolutely no soy products

7. No soda

8. Sprouted Grains

9. Vegan (although, this isn't a complete requirement for me) I do eat animal products. Except red meat. I haven't had red meat going on 9 years.

When I shop, I look for all of the requirements from the list above. Sometimes I can find products that make me feel like I have hit the lottery. Products like the below that make me happier than I probably should be. Products that have everything I need/want in one.

So I will break my list down for you and tell you why I have chosen to live this way

1. No Dairy

Dairy messes with my stomach very badly. I just can't do very much at all. Also, I encourage you to research what is really in the milk you consume. Even most Organic Milk.

2. 75-85% Gluten Free

While I am not 100% gluten free, I have noticed I am gluten sensitive. When I eat mainly gluten free products, my tummy is happy. Someone suggested I may have an allergy to gluten and suggested I try to eliminate it from my life. So I did some research. When I found out what gluten is, honestly it was easy to make the switch. Actually, the name gluten is derived from a glue-like  sticky network of proteins.

3. Organic

 I will just let this picture do the talking for me. Tomatoes on the left, non-certified organic, were purchased over a month ago... tomato on the right was purchased less than a week ago.

Um....why haven't the tomatoes I purchased over a month ago turned yet?

4. Free Range Products

Blame the animal lover in me. While I still eat meat, I have this thing for the treatment of these animals prior to consumption. 

"A free-range chicken is a bird that is allowed constant access to the outdoors, with plenty of fresh vegetation, sunshine and room to exercise. Moreover, it has not been given any chemicals (antibiotics, for example) of any kind." Forrest Pritchard

To me, this more humane than animals that are caged, pumped full of chemicals, and living a miserable life.

5. Non-GMO products

What is GMO? I'll just quote a few sources and let you sit and think on this for yourself. I believe you will soon understand why this is just WRONG!

From Wikepedia: 

1. GMOs are the source of genetically modified foods and are also widely used in scientific research and to produce goods other than food.
2. "GMOs are foods biologically manufactured in laboratories – injected with new DNA, viruses, herbicides, insecticides and/or other chemicals – to be resistant to synthetic chemicals and are completely different than hybridizing techniques allowed by nature." "In 50 countries there are significant restrictions or outright BANS on GMO's." (Vani Hari - Food Babe)
3. 
   

6. Little to absolutely no soy products

Soy containes Carrageenan: "Although derived from a natural source, carrageenan appears to be particularly destructive to the digestive system, triggering an immune response similar to that your body has when invaded by pathogens like Salmonella." No wonder my tummy was bothered all the time! Even when I eliminated dairy and began drinking Soy Milk. It seemed my stomach was worse when I consumed Soy Milk.

7. No soda

I am not even going to go into this because it honestly requires a blog entry of its own. But trust me!!!!! PLEASE STOP THE SODAS

8. Sprouted Grains

A sprouted grain is lower in starch than a regular grain and it also has higher levels of protein, vitamins and minerals. All around, it is just better for you.

9. Vegan 

While I am not a vegan, I eat more vegan products now than I used to. I do this simply because of the benefits/nutrients I gain from eating vegan. Vegan products have reduced saturated fats, antioxidants, protein, magnesium, potassium, fiber, Vitamin E and Vitamin C just to name a few.

So, there you have it. I could seriously go on and on, but you would lose interest. I just wanted to share what I have been doing and why. What have I gained?

Healthier body and mind

Healthier skin

Weight loss

Increased Energy

Less stomach issues

And my Fibromyalgia flare-ups only occur now a few times a month instead of a few times a week.

Hope you enjoyed this and have taken something away from it that will make you want to incorporate these changes into your lifestyle. Yes, it can be expensive and it has to be a priority on the budget. However, I believe in the long run you will save more money because you will spend less time sitting in the doctors office with high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and more!

Love, 

Rachel

Figured It Out

I figured it out! (see here)

I think this weekend will be a weekend spent in the kitchen.

The week of Christmas, my husband and I went to Asheville, NC for our honeymoon. We stayed in a cozy little cabin just outside of Weaverville, NC. While there, we ate at the wonderful Green Sage Cafe in Asheville for lunch. It was so good that we had to go there again later that week.

I had a wonderfully made gluten free turkey and ham wrap both times. The sauce on the wrap was to die for!! I inquired as to what the sauce was...Vegenaise. Being from the South and only a little over three months into this lifestyle change of no gluten, non-GMO, all organic, etc...etc..., I had never heard of Vegenaise. My Bad!!!

I love anything a little tangy and citrus-y and this Vegenaise was both!! Oh my!

Since we have been back home I have really missed the food options North Carolina had to offer. I miss being able to go into a restaurant or a grocery store and have endless options to choose from. Living in a small town with only a small handful of stores to buy groceries and maybe one or two places I can actually eat out at, I am back to the daily grind of hand preparing everything.

Since I am still new to this lifestyle, I have yet to discover all the options I really have as far as what I can eat. I kind of have picked my few staple items and stuck with them. I am getting bored. Today I was really craving that wrap and when I thought of it, the first thing my mouth did was water at the thought of that wonderful sauce.

So...this weekend will be spent in the kitchen exploring more food options for myself (sorry honey) and first on the list is making my own Vegenaise. I will make sure to come back and let you guys know how it goes.

Love,
Rachel

Need It Now

I want to write! I want to draw! I want to paint! I want to do photography! I want to cook! I want to create!

So many things I want to do, I crave deep within. I just don't know which to choose, which to focus my energy on. I don't know how to get started. All I know is I want to live out this passion internally, externally.

Do I pick up a pen, paintbrush, spatula?

Help me! Give me a project, an idea, a task. Something. It...is...killing...me!!

Man, I Feel Like A Woman

I’ve always heard with age comes wisdom. Well, I don’t know how wise I am, but I am a tad more astute than I was 5, 10, 15 years ago; I am loving 35!!! At 35 I have crossed through a few major milestones and still have important landmarks ahead of me to journey. At 35 I am happily married; although it did take one round of marriage to realize what I wanted. Marrying, for me, at 23 was probably not the best decision I made. Not that I regret it. I just never wanted to be divorced. Oh well, such is life.

At 35 I am stronger than I have ever been. I know that my strength will continue to grow.

I am more dependable that I have ever been. Trusting? Maybe less so now, but I am working on that.

I am more creative. I write what I feel, paint through emotions, cook until my kitchen is unrecognizable and sketch little ballerinas, flowers, and all other things girly.

At 35 I stand up more for my beliefs, my freedom in Christ and for those I love.

At 35 I feel less like a girl searching for her place in this big and yet...small world.

At 35 I respect life and what it means to be a woman. 

I hope you are loving your life and would love to hear what you embrace about your age. No matter your age!!

Love, 

Rachel

Saturday

Wake up in a warm bed, legs outstretched and arms above head. Hair messy from a night of deep relaxation and peace. Throw legs off the side of bed and gently allow toes to touch the cool wood floor.

Stand

Walk to the bathroom and brush teeth, maybe I should comb my hair. Maybe I will just throw it in a messy bun.

Saturday

Maybe today I will tackle the chores. Maybe today I will visit a friend. Maybe today I will write those Thank You notes.

Relax

Walk to the couch. Grab my blanket and pillow. Lay down and grab the remote. Flip the channels. Curl up with breakfast and my husband.

Love

Enjoy the moment. The mess can wait. The calls don't have to be answered and the texts can be ignored. Smell his hair. Hold his hand.

Cherish

Simply be today. Don't worry about expectations, others or the ones you place on yourself.


Love,
Rachel

Trusting Through Patience

Psalm 40:1

 “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my

 cry."(NIV)

I don’t know about you, but patience is not that easy for me. We all have seasons where we are required to wait on the Lord. Wait for an anticipated pregnancy, wait for a job, wait for a raise, wait for healing, wait for a way out.

During our season of waiting, we cry out to the Lord and feel as though He is not hearing us because it seems His response is taking longer than WE planned for it to take. However, God is always faithful. He will provide and hear our cry. He will answer our prayer one way or another. And when that time comes, it will be at “just the right time.”

To wait patiently requires trust. Trusting God’s word and His promise that He will provide an answer. Trusting that which is asked for in prayer, believing; it will be given. (Matthew 21:22)

And when God does answer prayer, in whatever way He sees fit, it will bring with it more blessing than we could have ever imagined. So while waiting; trust His word and have patience, knowing in the end His outcome will supersede our plans.

Love, 

Rachel

Getting Creative for Christmas

We are weeks away from Christmas. If most of you, like me, didn't get any shopping done over Thanksgiving Break or if your budget is limited, fear not. Whether you are extremely creative or a slight bit creative I have the perfect idea!

Over the past few years, I have come up with one gift in particular which always brings a smile and it is always displayed proudly. It is thoughtful and budget friendly!

In order to make this gift work, you really must know the recipient. Do they have a hobby? A beloved 4-paw best friend? A favorite sports team? Could they use more pictures of family and friends or would they tear up at an old photo from their childhood that they haven't seen in a while?

Why not transfer a photo of any of the above onto canvas? This is one of the easiest gifts to make and it doesn't matter if you are artistic or not. If you are, it allows the chance to take it one step further. I will give you both options.

Option One: Less Than Artistic Gifter

What you will need: Blank canvas, Mod Podge matte finish, Photo of your choice the same size as your canvas, 1 small & 1 large foam paint brush or 1 regular small & 1 large paint brush of your choice, an old rag or wash cloth, black acrylic paint and wood glue.

First, purchase a blank canvas. I have purchased 4x7’s and 8x10’s. These are the easiest to work with. Of course, you can always purchase a larger canvas. However, the smaller canvas works well when you are on a budget.

Now choose an image that you would like to transfer to the canvas. Look through old photo boxes, grab your mobile device and browse through past vacations, or research the internet for his favorite sports team’s logo. Once your image is selected, utilize your local pharmacies 1-hour photo shop to purchase your print. (Make sure it is the same size as your canvas)

If you have decided on an older image from his past, take the photo with you to the local pharmacy’s photo department and ask them if they can increase the size without too much distortion.

Next, lay all of your items out and grab the wood glue. Make sure you have purchased wood glue that turns white when it dries just in case you make a mistake. Flip your photo over and cover the back with the wood glue using your small brush to completely cover every area. Gently lay your photo onto the canvas. It is okay if the photo is a little bigger than the canvas. If it sticks out on the sides you can either trim the excess with scissors or leave it alone. I leave it alone.

Once your photo is applied to the canvas, pour a small amount of Matte Mod Podge onto a paper plate or bowl (doesn't have to be paper, as it rinses off clean with soap and water, but I like less clean up). Dip your larger brush into the Mod Podge and using vertical strokes, coat the entire photo. Once it dries, it will give your photo a canvas appearance. It will also remove the gloss from the photo. That is why it is important to purchase the Matte Mod Podge and not the Glossy.

After the Mod Podge has dried, pour your black acrylic paint onto a paper plate or bowl.  Ball your rag up slightly and lightly dip the ball into the paint. Then gently press and release your rag in quick strokes around the picture to give it a vignette appearance. Make sure to create thin straight lines on the outer edges and thicker round lines around the 4 corners. Once you have applied the paint to your image, using the same technique, cover all four corners of your canvas with the paint.

Let dry overnight. 

(This is an old photo from Christmas a few years back. You can see the Vintage Atlanta Falcons photo above has been applied to the canvas in the picture below)

Option Two: The Artistic Gifter

You will need the items as listed above. The only difference is you will be using your creativity to create the image you want to transfer onto canvas. In the image above, I used an app called "Paper by FiftyThree" to draw the image I knew my recipient would love. The basic colors and pens are free. If you need more brush or color options, it is very inexpensive to purchase more and allows you more creativity.

You can choose to draw the image yourself or let the kids draw something for dad that he can proudly display in his home, office, or man cave.

Once you have completed your drawing, you have an option to save it as an image. Once your image has been saved, you can upload it online to your local photo shop; Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, etc...

Most of the images above were edited on a photo software app prior to printing. Editing your picture allows for more creativity. It smooths out any imperfections and allows you to brighten or darken your colors.
Once you save your image from your drawing app to your device, simply select any photo editing software to edit. Again, re-save the image and you are ready for printing.

Unedited vintage Atlanta Falcons Team Logo created with "Paper by FiftyThree" 

Edited vintage Atlanta Falcons Team Logo using a photo editing software app

I hope this has inspired you to be a little more creative this year for Christmas. If you have any questions or comments, please use the comment section below and I will be happy to help in any way I can.