  Wet Sock (Hydrotherapy) Treatment Instructions:
"Wet Sock Therapy" can be used for any cold and flu symptoms, no matter how minor or severe, on children or adults. It is typically advised to be done overnight, but I’ve done this treatment on myself during the day while I worked from home, and I've done it on my kids during the day while they are napping or resting when they are sick. You can repeat treatment 2-3x per day, night or nap, when necessary.
Basically it's: Warm. Cold. Warm. While it may seem odd, heating your feet/body and then wearing cold wet socks covered in wool socks to bed increases your circulation and helps regulate your body temperature. The effects of increased blood circulation are similar to taking a walk. Anything that improves oxygen levels in our bodies can promote healing and reduce pain in the simplest of explanations. Circulation and oxygenation, in turn, stimulate your immune system, which can help with more than you'd ever imagine:
Similar therapies were used by the Romans, as well as nurses in days of old, when nurses were trained in more genuine "health care" techniques. Check out this forgotten therapy they used to teach in nursing school that my dear friend Jacque of DeepRootsAtHome.com wrote about: ‘Fomentation’: The Lost Treatment for Pneumonia, Bronchitis, Spider Bites. Jacque also writes about “water cure” spas in Europe where one of the main treatments involves immersing both feet into separate buckets, alternately, of hot and cold water. This is exactly what we are "reproducing" with wet socks therapy! And it feels surprisingly good. I've even alternated castor oil (foot) packs with wet socks, as well. Get creative & get your family well. God has given us so much wisdom & so many resources to help our families at home, you guys. Read Jacque's blog about Wet Socks here for a few more resources. Luke 9:2 "and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" NOTE: Wet Sock Therapy is extremely safe, but should be avoided in pregnancy, those with the inability to regulate temperature properly, and those with severe circulation disorders. It is also wise to keep a close eye when using this on young children who cannot communicate if they are feeling too hot or too cold. Keep a close eye on children, of course, and stop any therapy if they seem too uncomfortable. Use blankets or warm baths to warm them up, or cool wash cloths over the forehead or even tepid baths for unusually high temperatures. This is not intended as medical advice or in place of medical care. This is for educational purposes only.
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Castor oil comes from the SEEDS of the castor oil plant and is a dense blend of fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, phytosterols, and amino acids. These compounds sum up the antioxidant power of castor oil which can help clear free radicals and oxidative stress.
Castor oil is very beneficial in helping open up the "drainage pathways" in our body. Our lymphatic system is the sewage system or "clean up system" for our bodies. When our bodies are compromised or overloaded by toxins, infections, and poor diet, the lymphatic system gets "congested", causing anything from achiness, headaches, bloating, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and hormone imbalances, to chronic or autoimmune disease and SO MUCH MORE. The lymphatic system is designed to cleanse our body through our drainage pathways, which include the skin, liver, gall bladder, kidneys, lungs, and colon or Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue (G.A.L.T.). However, when it gets backed up, we can no longer detox on our own properly, and our systems begin to fail or dysfunction. This leads to cellular and mitochondrial damage, which then leads to all varieties of dis-ease and disease. Castor oil works great as a topical “purifier” and has the ability to draw out impurities through the skin or by way of the skin. 90 % of Castor Oil’s fatty acid substance is ricinoleic acid, which is an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. It’s active ingredient is undecylenic acid, which has powerful anti-fungal properties! Doing castor oil packs can lead to systemic improvements in sleep quality, reducing chronic aches and pains, relieving congestion, improving absorption of nutrients, and improving bowel movements and digestion, which all lead to an increased quality of life. Improving toxin removal in the body also helps with regulation of our body’s stress response and balancing of the microbiome. Applying castor oil packs is a great technique to learn to help your entire family with SO many things. It is not going to be the "magic bullet" for ALL things, and it is not meant to be used consistently forever. If castor oil packs don’t seem to be working for your intended use, please exercise wisdom and stop. Please schedule an appointment if you need further help in targeting the root causes of your remaining health issues. Other gentle ways to mechanically manipulate the lymphatic system:
Proverbs 28:13-14 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
Hebrews 12: 4-13 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for the shall obtain mercy. Ephesians 5:8-21 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. John 15:1-17 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Colossians 3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. This is my updated Dr. Mom 101 vlog. Learn my favorite remedies & medicine cabinet essentials for a wide variety of ailments, acute or chronic. All products can be purchased through the STORE tab at DrJana.com. Here are the direct links for each individual product line:
NATURE'S SUNSHINE PRODUCTS: https://www.drjanajoshugrimm.com/natures-sunshine.html Specific Nature's Sunshine products mentioned: Oregon Grape, Seasonal Allergy (liquid), Lobelia Essence, Silver Shield Aqua Sol (various sizes), Silver Shield Rescue Gel, Frankincense Essential oil, Roman Chamomile Essential Oil, Lavendar Essential Oil, Glass Roller Bottles, Carrier Oil, Distress Remedy YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS: https://www.drjanajoshugrimm.com/young-living.html Specific YL Oils mentioned: Seedlings Calm (for infants/babies), KidScents for age 2+ (Snifflease, Sleepyze, TummyGize) NOTES: I add the Oregon Grape or Seasonal Allergy into a cup of Detox Lemonade, into a smoothie or MOST COMMONLY onto a spoonful of raw or Manuka honey to get my kids to take it. However, neither tastes bad and can usually be given to children straight, pretty easily! You simply need to get it in their bodies :) I hosted a 1-hour Coronavirus Teaching & deeper explanation of all of the tips (and more) that I shared on my previous COVID-19 blog. We went deeper into dosing, answered some personal questions, and shared other great practical ideas anyone can do to rebuild their immune systems and prevent/fight these kinds of infections. EDITS: When I discussed castor oil packs, I forgot to say you cover the wool flannel cloth with Plastic like a ziplock bag or Saran Wrap before covering with the hot pack. You then cover with a towel. You need to know what you are doing, but these are very effective for cysts, colds/ flu/ digestions, detox, increasing lymphatic flow, etc. Here is a great article from Dr. Jockers with detailed info on using castor oil packs and castor oil for scars.
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.” Read more here. My DIY hand sanitizer is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal spray & immune support without the harmful hormone disrupting & immune crashing side effects of traditional hand sanitizer. When you use chemical antibiotics found in antibacterial hand soap and traditional hand sanitizers, they are strictly antibacterial (antibiotic)...aka: they kill bacteria only, not viruses. Sure, this is helpful in fighting secondary bacterial infections, but it will not kill coronavirus...or any other virus for that matter. Neither will hand washing.
Antibacterial products actually weaken the immune system and wipe out all of the GOOD bacteria (probiotics) on your skin's surface that we need to help FIGHT infection and protect us every day. Traditional hand sanitizers are also known for disrupting hormone balance in the body. OPTION #2: Just use undiluted Silver Shield in an amber spray bottle. Safe for EVERYONE and also kills bacteria, virus, fungus...while only supporting/building your immune system!!! This is what I have available for patients to use on my online storefront. Essential Shield contains 10 different essential oils: 100% pure essential oils of Citrus sinensis (Orange) peel, Eugenia caryophyllata (Clove) bud, Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) bark, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) flower, Citrus x limon (Lemon) whole fruit, Pinus sylvestris (Pine) needle, Rosmarinus officinalis (Wild Rosemary) leaf, Mentha piperita (Peppermint) leaf & flower, Citrus x paradisi (Grapefruit) peel, Thymus vulgaris (Thyme) leaf. NOTE: always read labels to ensure there are no plant extracts/essential oils you are allergic to. Also, if you are sensitive to grains, especially corn or wheat (like me), or struggle with auto-immune of any kind, grain alcohol is a no-no. That was why I chose 70% isopropyl alcohol instead. The alcohol content MUST BE greater than 60% to have sanitizing properties. Also, rubbing alcohol is drying, so just know you may need more moisturizer if you're using it all the time. NOTE: I learned recently that despite popular DIY blogging advice, Aloe Vera gel IS NOT suitable as a stand alone base for DIY hand sanitizer. A) Most are stuffed with polymers. B) It can be incorporated as a 200x powder concentration in the water phase of the formulation...but who in the world is going to sort this out as a DIY'er... if you want to, I'm not the person to ask for advice ;) and... C) If you did use a pure aloe vera gel, you could mix it with the alcohol BUT you would have to be certain the alcohol % stayed above 60%. You could not use essential oils in it because they would likely not stay in solution and you would then have risks for burning/irritating your skin. Sooo...yeah. Before you read any further, let's read Psalm 91 and be reminded of God's faithfulness & hope BEFORE we do anything else:
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. 9 IF you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Also, God's Word warns us of the increase of natural disasters and disease as evidence we are living in the end times AND that He is coming back SOON in Matthew 24 & Luke 11 (I encourage you to read both chapters, in context). Here's the highlight from Matthew 24: 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for[a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,[b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. Definition of Pestilence (Oxford dictionary): a fatal, epidemic disease Ok, now for some science, facts and practical advice. Here are a few more fact-based pieces of news/science from trusted Doctors/colleagues/sources to encourage you with: Coronavirus mortality rate could drop Coronavirus (COVID-19): what a pediatrician wants you to know High dose Vit C used to treat Coronavirus in China 7 Corona Virus Myths & how to beat it naturally Coronavirus: Symptoms & Natural Solutions Developing information is showing that COVID-19 prevention is similar to flu prevention (and all of these can be taken in higher doses for treatment of any virus). The COVID-19 symptoms include: fever, coughs, shortness of breath, upper-respiratory symptoms, GI symptoms, diarrhea, and general body aches. Please stay home if you have any of these symptoms. CALL your Doctor before running to the Doctor/hospital. I personally am offering phone consults in place of in-office visits for anyone who has any related symptoms. I will open up more hours (for phone consultations) temporarily, if needed, to help in any way I can. Let's be part of the solution, and not the problem. Pick a few preventative options from the list and be proactive, but not afraid. Calm others with prayer, truth, facts, and options who are living in fear. Also, if you know your health is not up to par, I highly recommend being proactive and scheduling an appointment to get your health restored, which in turn, strengthens your immune system and mind and is one of the best overall things someone can do. This is not the time to be scared, tired, stressed, and depressed, as it does affect our immune systems. Laughter, faith, hope, gratitude and joy are great medicine! The Nature's Sunshine products on the list below can be purchased at wholesale cost through my online store. All Sunshine Rewards (autoship) orders & orders over $150 get FREE shipping. We have many of them in stock in my office, as well.
*In my opinion, the best options for kids are: Silver Shield, VS-C liquid, Echinace/goldenseal (liquid), essential oils, cod liver oil, beta glucan chewies, the above homeopathics + healthy diet of low sugar/grains, sufficient fruits/veggies, sufficient protein & plenty of good fats which is necessary for a healthy immune system. Also, drink plenty of pure water, fresh pressed green juices with ginger, and be diligent to get them good sleep! **If we get quarantined, enjoy the time with your family. Seek the Lord diligently. Turn the TV off. Pray together, Play together. Take communion together. Get some rest. Catch up on house projects. Cast off fear & search God's Word for how He is working all of this together for our good and His glory. He is aware of every detail of our lives and every detail of the world. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.- Proverbs 17:22 NLT Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. -John 14:27 NKJV When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.-Psalm 94:19 NLT I will do my best to update this blog if/as more information arises. I am praying for all of you, in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Healer, our Protector, and our Peace! The following is a list of some (but not all) foods, herbs and essential oils that can be safely used by most people if they feel a cold/flu coming on. There are 4 primary types of "infections": Virus, bacteria, yeast/fungus, or parasite. Many of these natural antibiotics (anti-BACTERIALS) have overlapping properties to combat other types of infections, as well. It is important to note that different types of infections respond better to some foods/herbs/ plants than others. The yellow highlighted products are specific names (links) of products which are available through my online store. *If you are trying some natural options on your own to no avail, then I highly recommend making an appointment so that we can dig deeper and get you on the right plan. It doesn't mean that natural medicine doesn't work, it means you need the help of a professional who knows how to effectively assess what's going on and customize a plan for YOU. Onions Raw garlic - cook with it or swallow small, raw pieces of garlic cloves like a pill (on full stomach) up to 3 large cloves/day; Can also help with virus, fungus & parasites! Raw horseradish Raw apple cider vinegar - try my "flu shot" or detox lemonade Manuka (or other RAW) honey - try my Ginger-Lemon Immune-Tea or crush a garlic clove & mix it with raw honey for colds/flu Ginger root or fresh pressed ginger juice - try my Ginger-Lemon Immune-Tea; or mix fresh pressed ginger juice with sparkling mineral water and stevia/monkfruit, to taste. Medicinal ginger soda. Oil of Oregano - very hot; not for young children; not the same as oregano essential oil; capsule or liquid; Can also help with virus, fungus & parasites! High Potency Garlic - Powerful! Contains: Garlic bulb, broccoli flowers, turmeric root, red beet root, rosemary leaves, carrot root, tomato fruit, cabbage leaves, orange and grapefruit bioflavonoid extracts, and hesperidin. Silver Shield - A patented Silver Sol product (different, more effective & safer than colloidal silver); safe for all ages, even infants. Take on empty stomach; can use orally or a few drops in the eyes & ears, as well (ie: pink eye, ear infection, etc). Olive Leaf Extract - Powerful antibiotic, anti-viral & anti-fungal. One of my favorites! Goldenseal - great antibiotic and liver/kidney detox; great for Urinary Tract Infections; do not use Goldenseal if pregnant/nursing Ultimate Echinacae or Echinacea/Goldenseal Pau d’ arco - best for virus/fungus; I carry this in bulk tea, capsules or extract form. Keep it on hand for use in my Ginger-Lemon Immune-Tea. Capsicum (cayenne pepper) - also great for energy, ulcers & circulation! Turmeric Curcumin - also great for pain, inflammation, virus, fungus, etc. Probiotics:
Essential oils: Essential Shield blend, Inspire blend, Tea Tree, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Clove, Oregano, Peppermint, Frankincense, Myrrh, Thyme, Eucalyptus ... and others! *Be sure to use a carrier oil with hot/spicy oils (applied topically) and do not ingest essential oils unless you know you're using a 100% pure product that is safe for ingestion (not all oils are) and are trained in how to properly use/apply them. *The quality and potency of your food, herbs, essential oils, skin care, etc. matters. All of my products are tested beyond organic standards for quality, potency and purity. NOTE: This blog is for informational purposes only. If you are not an active patient, we are unable to answer health questions or make product recommendations for you.
 Freedom in Christ requires discipline, but it’s a discipline rooted in delight. Freedom in Christ comes from the delight of knowing you are the Beloved Child of God. Living as one loved by God enables you to say YES! to the things that please God’s heart and NO! to the things that have the potential to destroy your freedom and reduce you back to slavery. Join Dr. Jana and Alisa as they share their reasons for creating The 21 Day Sugar Fast. You will learn why this kind of fast matters for your health and it is for anyone who desires to strengthen their relationship with their Creator God and in turn strengthen their relationship with all things created, namely food! 21-Day Sugar Fast: The What, the Why, the Who, the How 21-Day Sugar Fast: What Problems It Will Solve CLICK THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE & PURCHASE Everything is permissible for me.” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me.” but I will not be brought under the control of anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 Sign up for our NEWSLETTER to find out about future events, get health education, encouragement & more.
To know me is to know I’m real. I dislike “superficial”. I’m always seeking to know and represent Jesus better, to become more like Him, to change where I know I can do better, and to love better overall. And I'm overly aware of how terribly I fall short.
This is my simple tool (the verses in the photo above) to meditate on this week (and beyond)... and not just read or recite them quickly because they are popular or familiar, but to chew on them, 1 line at a time, line by line... and savor them... and actually digest them, so that they are the raw materials (food) I will be built with. We are what we eat ;) Eat real food >> Physical and Spiritual food. The rich meat of Gods Word. Rich food. Nutritious food. Food that lasts. Nourishes. Builds. Detoxes. Repairs. Sustains. Sit down and chew on it. Let it digest & heal you. Let it heal your marriage. Your relationships. Your heart. Your soul. Your mind. Your relationship with God. Let it detox you of the toxins (religious spirit, critical spirit, bitterness, jealousy, anger, pride, shame, guilt, selfishness, FEAR...). Love heals. AND Love wins. ❤️ If you have been following me for a while you know how passionate I am about getting free, staying free and passing on the torch of freedom to the next generation – a new generation. I had the honor of recording this podcast at the end of 2017 with Alisa Keeton, founder of Revelation Wellness, about home, heart and womb health. Each of us has been given the ability to bear life by adding goodness on the earth. So whether or not you are thinking about getting pregnant, have been pregnant or just want to understand how generational patterns of disease can be passed from one person made in God’s image to another, today’s episode will bless you. The Revelation Wellness ministry, podcast and instructor training have blessed my health, marriage, ministry, and practice beyond measure! Enjoy.  Mercy Reign was born Saturday, February 3 at 4:43am by way of C-section after 48 hours of intense, unmedicated labor. She was frank breech, 9 pounds, 9 ounces and 23 inches long! Mercy was extra-well done (haha) at 41weeks and 3days, extra-large, extra cozy, folded completely in half, and slightly transverse, likely due to how long she was! This was not the birth story I wanted, it was the birth story God knew we needed.
Zach and I did everything we could to prepare for a home (water) birth, something we both dreamed of having. We prayed. We took A Heavenly Welcome's Kingdom Childbirth Class and the 8 week Mama Natural Online Birth class. We chose an amazing Christian midwife with 29 years experience who thoroughly cared for, educated and encouraged us from 9 weeks pregnant through the "4th trimester". We both read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth book, Hypnobirthing and Supernatural Childbirth. (UPDATE 11/8/19: After an extremely traumatic & extended postpartum journey, God has taught me A LOT. I absolutely do not recommend the book Supernatural Childbirth, which is recommended in the Kingdom Childbirth Class, and the subtly false theology it teaches. This was a pivotal stumbling block for me that nearly destroyed my faith and spiraled me into deeper postpartum depression. I have since learned of thousands of women who have had the same story. Stay tuned for more teaching on this. I have since discovered a solid, Bible-based pre & postnatal ministry, course & resource called Courageous Mom to help me recover and prepare for another pregnancy, if God wills.) Also, a word on Hypnobirthing for those whose "New Age radar" just went up: Chew on the meat & spit out the "New Age" bones - most of the info on what happens in the woman's body during pregnancy, labor and birth + the breathing techniques in this book were very accurate and helpful though I don't recommend the cd or some of the weird visualizations. Ok, back to my story: The Lord specifically instructed me on how to prepare my body before getting pregnant, after He gave me the dream about Mercy. He gave me the words TRUST and DISCIPLINE, and challenged me to get a 1-year chronological Bible to read for 2017 (as of March 2018 I've almost completed it...hahaha...better to finish with grace than become legalistic and ashamed, right?!). I also felt the Lord instruct me to start pilates reformer classes to prepare my structure, as I was just coming off of a serious back injury involving 2 bulged discs and severe muscle spasms. He advised me to lighten my load and work on my adrenal glands/hormones, as my periods had gotten painful and a bit irregular after prolonged high stress. The Lord also nudged me to finally change over the last of my makeup/skincare regimen. I had been using Bare Esscentuals for years and justified that it was "natural enough." I finally took the time to see how EVERYTHING I was using on my face/body ranked on the EWG- Skin Deep App and did my research to find the BEST, most pure and complete cosmetic line once and for all. (I hate changing makeup/searching for new products!) There are hundreds of serious carcinogens, hormone disruptors & other toxins in most makeup/skin care products. I still make my own body butter and anti-aging skin serum, both of which I used (mixed together) for stretch mark prevention throughout the whole pregnancy (and I didn't get a single stretchmark with my 55 extra pounds of Mercy!!!). I had pages of birth declarations and scriptures (you're welcome to use them) typed up that I meditated on for weeks to keep my mind constantly renewed and excited versus afraid. Aside from those specifics, I was already eating super clean and healthy, teaching Indoor Cycling classes 2 times per week and working a balanced schedule. I took responsibility and trained accordingly, as I knew childbirth was not something to "just wing". Everything the Lord advised me to do paid off and served its purpose. I had a wonderful pregnancy despite the fact that it was "God's plan" and not our own in the end. Mercy was head down until 35 weeks when she flipped. My amazing Chiropractor, who specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care, is who suspected she was breech and referred me out for emergency ultrasound for confirmation on Christmas Eve (35.5 weeks). Praise God for the wise words from a dear friend who reminded me: "Remember, home birth isn't the ultimate goal, a health mommy and baby is". That was Truth I needed to remember for such a time as this. This pregnancy and birth experience took me to another level of surrender and trust, once again reminding me that we are not in control. I so desperately wanted to have this baby naturally and at home. I fully believed that God was going to honor "the desires of my heart". We prayed fervently through the end of my pregnancy and had so many others praying (even fasting for us). We did everything to get her to turn (Webster technique, Chiropractic care, Acupuncture, Moxibustion, External Cephalic Version 3 times, inversion exercises from SpinningBabies.com, essential oils, homeopathies to increase my amniotic fluid making more room for baby to move, etc). We were still lead to try to have a home birth instead of cave to C-section immediately since there were zero complications, and I was healthy and low risk through my entire pregnancy. We had to hire Dr. Stuart Fischbein (with Dr. Milo Chavira on call, his backup which is who we ended up with because Dr. Stu was out of town when I went into labor... the plot thickens!) the only Obstetricians in the area who specialize in vaginal breech HOME (or birth center) birth. Sadly, California law will not allow a breech home birth with a midwife any longer (don't get me started on that!). It is pretty much exclusively hospital policy here to force women with breech babies to have a surgical birth and not even allow them to try to deliver naturally. God kept opening doors of hope and possibility. Something I learned from our amazing and very experienced birth team through this journey: If you are trying to deliver a breech baby vaginally, induction and intervention are major no-no's. (Of course, I'm not a fan of either unless they are truly MEDICALLY NECESSARY anyway. One intervention often quickly leads to a whole cascade of interventions, which can have adverse effects on mommy and baby). Because Mercy could not descend through the birth canal due to her position and size, my contractions never developed a regular pattern into active labor, and I never dilated past 4 cm. I had MANY 10-15 minute, excruciating, back-to-back surges as my uterus did its job to TRY to bring her down. I fought to have her naturally, but it eventually became medically necessary to transfer after 40 hours of labor. My water had been broken for nearly 48 hours. I had to surrender. This was my Garden of Gethsemane. “...Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” -Matthew 26:39 NKJV There were some incredibly HOLY moments late in my labor where tears flowed from the depths of my soul. I was able to dance and worship, feeling almost zero pain for a couple hours!! I had a supernatural breakthrough and clearly heard the Lord speaking to me about restoring the family unit, the ancient ruins (Isaiah 61), and the places that have been long devastated through many generations. He spoke to us about making all things new through us, a fresh start, a new and healthy generation, and encouragement that I don't have to be afraid of me or Zach doing the things I witnessed growing up. These have been deep, tormenting and paralyzing fears throughout my life. The Lord "delivered" me as I was delivering my daughter into the world. I was fully surrendered at that point and HOLY is the only way to describe it. Perhaps if my birth story had been "easy", I would have missed out on the healing that only comes through the kind of pain that brings you to your knees. I could quickly get caught up in grieving and re-living my birth story, wallowing in the emotions and making it an idol. Instead I CHOOSE to simply trust The Lord and thank Him for this baby girl that was worth it all!! After all, I don't "deserve" anything. Anything the Lord gives is a gift of grace in reality. Ultimately we had our home birth...with a cesarean delivery and a healthy baby. We did everything we could and therefore, will never have any regrets. In God's mercy and grace, Miss Mercy Reign never once showed any sign of fetal distress through the entire labor or birth or postpartum!! Thank you Jesus!!! We are in love!!! Mercy is so strong and healthy and BEAUTIFUL and FUN and squishy and delicious!!!! God's MERCY truly REIGNS and we can be grateful His plans are better than ours will ever be!!! THANK YOU to ALL who have prayed, called, sent cards and gifts, celebrated and journeyed with us!!! Psalm 136:1 "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER." FUN FACT: A breech presentation is a variation of normal (like us! haha), not a pregnancy complication. It occurs in 3-4% of pregnancies and no one really knows why. Vaginal delivery is ideal for a low-risk breech baby so long as you have a properly trained birth assistant (OB or Midwife). The real problem is that medical schools are no longer training Doctors how to deliver breech babies, so there is a LOT of fear-mongering around this topic. Just as many, if not more, things can go wrong during C-section delivery of a breech baby if a Doctor isn't properly trained (brachial plexus injuries, etc). It is still wise to avoid a surgical birth whenever possible unless it is truly medically necessary like mine ultimately was. My heart grieves when I hear people say "Girl, you get to eat and do whatever you want! You're pregnant. It's YOUR time."
Friends, pregnancy IS a precious and sacred time! Pregnancy is an honor! IT'S CERTAINLY A GIFT!! And it sure can be a LOT of FUN! It is also a season where more rest and focus is required. Receive the gift of rest and slow down. Take care of yourself and rearrange your priorities. Let people bless you (it's crazy how excited people get about babies & baby bumps! I had NO IDEA!) It's a season to bask under the shade of God's grace and ponder the MIRACLE of new life! But grace (pregnancy) IS NOT permission to live by the flesh. The consequences can be long-lasting and are simply not worth it. Stay with me... this is a long one, but there's much to understand to see my point. And please remember that while I'm on baby #1, I have been helping people/patients (pre-natal, pregnant, post-natal, children, adults, families...primarily WOMEN of all ages) for over a decade to restore their health. I often work with very challenging cases. It's not difficult to see where the root of the problems are. Pregnancy is NOT a time to be selfish, neglectful, and disobedient. It is not the time to eat/do whatever we want and justify gluttony and complacency. It's NOT the time to quit exercising unless there's a TRUE medical emergency/necessity. It's also important to take advice from those who specialize in HEALTH care and healthy birth, not from "sick care" providers whose answers tend to be fear-based and lean toward "more intervention." In fact, some good pelvic floor, core, and mild resistance and cardio training are ideal for helping us carry and birth our babies. EXERCISE IN PREGNANCY I taught Spin class 2x/week (yes, turning my resistance and intensity down as the Lord has lead me to), walked and stretched until 30 weeks pregnant. I'm 40 weeks pregnant as I revise this today. I did prenatal pilates through most of the 2nd trimester until I pulled an adductor muscle, unrelated to my workouts, and had to shift gears. My body is used to Indoor Cycling (especially because we ride to worship music & God's Word!) so I continued in what felt good for my body and it sure helped. NOTE: I have FREE online Christ-centered Indoor Cycling videos if you are looking for a safe, grace-based, low impact cardio option, and it feels right for YOUR body. To add 25+ pounds to our female frames in a few short months and then persevere through labor requires strength and flexibility to prevent pain & injury, reduce recovery time, and assist with birthing that beautiful baby into the world. MOST women gain even MORE, myself included... I've gained 50 healthy pounds and don't believe I could have done anything different to gain less. I am not ashamed. I have had a wonderful, complication-free pregnancy and my goal is to create and birth a healthy baby to God's glory, NOT to fit into some man-made estimation of what MY body "should" gain. Exercise discernment and seek the Lord on what kind of exercise is best for YOU and YOUR pregnancy, and ask HIM who should be advising you. It is equally important not to over-do it. Over-exercising can be just as detrimental, and if the Lord says REST, you need to rest. If you are hurting or feel "wiped out" after your workouts, you can assume it is too much or not the best movement for YOUR body right now. Walking is one of the best exercises for pregnancy. Stretching (but not over-stretching... I think that's how I strained my adductor. Thanks Relaxin!) is vital. My hips/pelvis let me know around 22 weeks what was working and what wasn't. During the third trimester, the Lord clearly told me to rest more than anything else (keep in mind, I was still working on my feet for about 7 hours straight 2 days/week in my third trimester), and if anything, the Christ-centered dance workouts on RevWell TV felt better than walking. Each week was different, and listening to the Lord over following some "pregnancy program" has proven quite valuable! Friends, we GET to make human life in our bodies. A baby, a HUMAN LIFE, is made from the raw materials, love and nourishment (physical, emotional AND spiritual) we put into our bodies. Most women are in labor longer than it would take to run a marathon! How long would you set aside to train for a marathon?? It takes work to create, birth and care for a baby. We need to "train" and prepare. It's a sacrificial time. A high responsibility. A time to seek the Lord and be as healthy as possible, NOT so that we can "avoid gaining weight" or "squeeze back into our old jeans postpartum as quickly as possible" and then show off our "hott mom body" on social media. NO! Name of Jesus. Rather we train and care for our temples because we have been ENTRUSTED with the gift of LIFE, of caring for this CHILD OF GOD, hand-made by HIM, placed in our womb, to change the world and be a Light in this dark world. We want to give our children the BEST CHANCE at coming out healthy, alert, whole and thriving. We are the sole care-giver to this baby while it grows in our womb. OUR HEALTH affects baby's health. PREGNANCY AND NUTRITION If we have Candida overgrowth, leaky gut, constipation, auto-immune disease, food allergies, hormone imbalances, irregular cycles, chronic fatigue, skin problems, sleep issues or "other random symptoms," INCLUDING (but not limited to) unhealthy thought patterns, childhood trauma, excessive fear or control issues... THIS IS THE EVIDENCE something is not balanced, the liver and gut ARE NOT well, and that, IF POSSIBLE we need help BEFORE we get pregnant. For those who are already pregnant or who get pregnant unexpectedly, you can STILL DO MUCH to improve your health WHILE you are pregnant, we just have to be more strategic. I recommend making an appointment so that you can SAFELY get the most results in the fastest amount of time by having a custom plan written for YOU. Attempting to self-diagnose via the internet and asking friends on social media, buying random products online from people who aren't actually experts in health will drive you crazy and waste a lot of time and money. Most patients that walk in my office have this story these days. Working with a Holistic Doctor and a good midwife is the best pre-natal care you can get. The way I work: After 1 affordable visit in which I spend an average of 1 hour LISTENING to you, praying with you and testing your body, you will know exactly what's going on with YOUR body, exactly what to do about it, what to eat/not eat/take, and you'll leave with a lifestyle and nutrition plan customized specifically for YOU, giving you the best chance at having a wonderful, healthy, SUPERnatural birth experience! It's not that complicated when you know what you're doing. It may surprise most women that half of the patients I test do not need a prenatal or multi-vitamin. Most of them are synthetic/garbage or aren't what your body really "needs." In fact, I bought the "best of the best" prenatals to try for myself, and they ALL made me feel worse. I simply didn't need a 1-size fits all supplement. I needed more support for my thyroid, adrenals and liver and not just a little of everything. My needs (plan) changed every few weeks as my body changed and baby grew :) That's normal. The Brewer's Diet is a good and reputable site for general pregnancy nutrition questions/recommendations. Again, keep in mind, this is general information, not custom information for the woman who really needs to get well quickly without a bunch of trial and error or guessing before/during pregnancy. Keep it simple: Every BODY needs real, organic foods, high protein, plenty of good fats, lots of greens & veggies, fruit and way less sugar. Lots of water. Real sea salt. Lot of minerals. The specifics from here will depend on the person/patient. Most people will benefit from incorporating raw, fermented foods, as well. There are always exceptions to every "food rule", which is where working with a Holistic Practitioner who specializes in nutrition will greatly help you feel your best, maintain your energy, avoid complications, recover quickly, and grow/carry a full-term, healthy baby!! NOTE: Throughout this blog you'll see several links to the MamaNatural.com website because this is a resource that has been helpful for me at times! I have no affiliation or kickback from this site. I just see no sense in reinventing the wheel as this is already a reallllly long blog ;) PREGNANCY & CHIROPRACTIC CARE If you're having aches and pains, please get in to see a Chiropractor asap (ideally one who specializes in pregnancy) to start getting your pelvis, body and internal chemistry (hormones and emotions) aligned BEFORE the big BIRTH-day. If our pelvis (or spine and other joints) are "twisted" or imbalanced, then the uterine (and other) ligaments are pulling unevenly on the uterus and bones that anchor them. The uterus becomes like a twisted balloon, and the baby no longer has a large, straight shot out of the birth canal. If the sacrum (tailbone) is "stuck" or misaligned, then the sacrum cannot open properly (which is the back side of the birth canal). Bottom line: we want to make sure everything stays aligned and in place and opens/closes properly (as the body grows and changes) so that baby can come out as easily as possible, and at the right time. Don't set yourself up for an episiotomy (which is NOT backed by scientific research, by the way), induction or C-section. Be proactive. Poor posture, weaknesses, imbalances and misalignments are another common cause of the start of the cascade of interventions. Good Chiropractic care will have a SIGNIFICANT and POSITIVE impact on your body's ability to deliver naturally, reduce pain, prevent tearing, reduce pushing, speed up recovery, and keep you calm and strong throughout your pregnancy and recovery. Good Chiropractic care literally has hundreds of other benefits to all the other systems of the body that most peopIe are unaware of. I personally get adjusted at least once a month regularly and now every 1-2 weeks in my third trimester of pregnancy. Baby Mercy will get her 1st adjustment on her BIRTH day since all that twisting and squeezing through the birth canal can cause misalignments to the cranium, TMJ, spinal column, and other bones/joints which affect EVERY other system in the whole body. Interference in these bones causes interference in the development and function of the brain/nervous system, which affects baby's (and all living creatures) ability to latch, breastfeed, digest, rest, sleep, learn, progress, etc. Watch this newborn baby get his 1st adjustment! It's not scary. Again, I implore you... don't listen to gossip, assumptions and fear-based information from people who really don't know what they're talking about. Ask God for more discernment and wisdom. I practice what I preach and it works! ;) Mommies with known symptoms BEFORE pregnancy are pre-disposed to having miscarriages, complications, extended morning sickness, bed rest, pain with pregnancy, gestational diabetes, C-sections or inductions, a traumatic birth experience and prolonged recovery. They are high risk for falling victim to the cascade of interventions that quickly follows the first intervention. Furthermore, the baby is then pre-disposed to having problems such as food allergies, ear infections, colic, sleep issues, diaper rash, thrush, cradle cap, eczema, and/or reflux (spitting up all the time). All of these "symptoms" simply tell us there is something wrong, there is a "gut problem", and our child is not properly digesting/absorbing their food to grow & thrive as best they could, which all goes on to affect learning, behavior, development, brain function and so much more). Sadly, other symptoms and more detrimental side effects (like ADD, learning or behavior disorders, asthma, anaphylaxis, skin problems, etc) typically won't show up in our kids until several months and years down the road. Furthermore, this tells us that mom likely has symptoms she didn't know what to do with (or ignored) before/during pregnancy. Candida overgrowth and leaky gut (amongst other layers of problems) are SO COMMON now that I am witnessing over and over again why so many kids are sick. We add severe insult to injury by vaccinating these kids, giving them an immune overload that can cause severe, lifelong consequences. If we can properly educate mommies and get them well BEFORE (or even during) pregnancy, we can prevent much of this in the next generation. It is absolutely possible to stop this sick cycle in your family. I am living proof! Regardless of whether it starts with mommy or if the awareness comes through a child being sick/having chronic health issues, you must make some changes in how you approach your health/symptoms. Western Medicine is going to keep medicating you and keep you in the "sick cycle." Take this simple home spit test to see if you or your kids possibly have Candida overgrowth. Are we onto something? If so, you MUST stop taking chemical antibiotics and drugs for infections and illness as much as possible (often starts with kids and ear infections) which are adding insult to injury. There are safe, natural antibiotics and medications that are incredibly effective that do not wipe out all of your good bacteria (probiotics) in the process. Once you learn how to kill infections/support the body without chemicals and prescription drugs, you will find that you rarely, if ever, "need" them. Yes there are times when the benefits of traditional medicine outweight the risks, but is is FAR LESS COMMON than what we are being recommended and scared into believing. Neither Zach (my husband) nor myself has taken a prescription antibiotic in well over a decade. I'm not saying that to boast, rather to encourage you that God has a better way, a less invasive way that does not do further harm. We are proof that it is true! With traditional antibiotics, you'll VERY LIKELY end up with recurrent infections, a depleted immune system, and a slow and gradual progression into more symptoms and sickness. Kids are now being BORN with Candida overgrowth and leaky gut because so many mommies have this and don't know it. Stay off the internet to avoid false information and confusion (unless God is clearly directing your research), and find a local Holistic Doctor (quickly) who can properly assess you, educate you and get you on track. The proof is in the healing and I see it every day. This is not "wierd," extreme or rocket science. If you're lead to work with ME, I see both local and long-distance patients of all ages. This is not a process you want to navigate on your own. If not handled properly, the process can drag out for years, the yeast will keep growing back and you'll feel like nothing is working long term. There are usually other layers to address and a GOOD, licensed Holistic Doctor or possibly a Clinical Nutritionist (not a "health coach") will know how to help you. As you pray about who is best to help you and your family, you can refer to this blog to help you make some changes. Watch my Dr. Mom 101 videos to start learning natural remedies THAT WORK that you can use to begin helping your family. When something is over your head, be wise, and see your Holistic Doctor instead of driving yourself crazy. You'll learn more and more over time, and eventually you'll need to go to any Doctor less and less :) YAY!!! HERE'S THE TRUTH What's in our body DOES pass on to baby, whether it is a toxin (yeast, heavy metals, vaccines, parasites, chemicals, etc), medication, emotional baggage, fear... OR ON THE HEALTHY SIDE: good nutrition, love, peace, security/safety & healthy emotional patterns. I strongly encourage mommies-to-be to get healthy/make an appointment BEFORE getting pregnant (when possible), and then surrendering and trusting God with the timelines for conception. It's worth the wait IF God says "wait" or interrupts your "plan" ;) God directed me to WAIT on Him after He gave Zach and I the desire to have a baby, and IT HAS BEEN WORTH IT. I was coming off of a stressful, busy season. I was exhausted and overwhelmed. My cycles were getting a little irregular. The warning signs were there that I needed some self-care. There were other things to "get in order" since God has not called me to close my practice and become a full-time, stay at home mom (at least not now). I heeded His conviction, asked Him for direction and how to best prepare ...and I waited. This is the verse He gave me at the beginning of 2017 as I sought His lead for my body to refresh and heal and prepare to conceive in HIS time. Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength (physical, emotional, spiritual); They shall mount up with wings like eagles (able to soar, endure, be present, stay healthy & sane; prevent unnecessary future problems), They shall run (bear children; raise children; keep up with their children; play; have JOY; ENJOY motherhood) and not be weary (vibrant, healthy, strong, playful, disciplined; persevering), They shall walk (day by day, patient, in step with the Lord) and not faint (crumble under the pressure/fear/work load; not end up medicated, overwhelmed, depressed or sick). *(emphasis = mine) We actually CAN avoid unnecessary consequences of prolonged morning sickness and nausea, excessive fatigue, miscarriage & infertility (of course I'm only talking about those with all their "parts" still), gestational diabetes, and c-sections. These are typically signs that symptoms were ignored prior to pregnancy. Women with the MTHF-R Gene Mutation, like me, are going to be even more susceptible to morning sickness, nausea and fatigue because they have a genetically compromised liver. We need to be even more proactive about our health, diet and stress so that our babies do not suffer as a result of our choices/lifestyle habits. We can do MUCH to prevent our children from being born with or having colic, cradle cap, reflux, food allergies, asthma, eczema, autism spectrum disorder, ADD, learning disabilities, etc. I realize this will offend or bother some people, but my intention is to bring people HOPE for what IS possible, not to shame or blame. We don't know what we didn't know. But now we know. Grace and more grace. My intention is NEVER to cause shame or regret, but to give you HOPE. Hope that YOU CAN CHANGE, whether you want (more) children, are raising children, or have grown children or grandchildren, etc. You have hope to share with others. Hope because there are answers. Hope because God is merciful and gracious and powerful to heal and redeem what the enemy has meant for destruction! I see it happen in my practice every week!! This is HOPE for those who doubt they can get pregnant. Hope because we don't have to suffer as a society as much as we are. If you don't know my story, I was diagnosed with endometriosis at age 24 and told I'd never be able to have kids. LIE. But God... I haven't had "endometriosis" for a long time, and I never had to battle "infertility" in trying to conceive at age 37 (Medical Doctors say I'm HIGH RISK; God says "this is the perfect timing"). I also have 1 of the MTHF-R Gene Mutations working against me (my liver doesn't detoxify properly without a me taking good care of myself on a daily basis >> no wonder I have always felt so sensitive to processed foods, drugs and chemicals!). Yet I've had a wonderful pregnancy with minimal nausea, great energy, good sleep, stable hormones and emotions, and textbook pregnancy measurements/progress! I had mild nausea for about 3-4 weeks and threw up once because I tried to take too many supplements the day the nausea hit... and up came my eggs and breakfast! I've had some hip pain that I mentioned earlier which has been managed through rest, massage, Chiropractic care, stretching, exercise and essential oils/herbs. Yes, God is indeed merciful. God is able to do far above what we ask or imagine, but we must take responsibility for our health and our sin so that we can heal. Obedience matters. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE with God... cuz the Bible says! ;) Neglecting ourselves before & during pregnancy has consequences to our babies and the next generation. It can lead to years of stress dealing with your own and your children's health problems. It can wreak financial havoc and marital tension that can lead to divorce, division, adultery, abuse, and other unforeseen consequences that are unfair to our children. OUR NEGLECT & UNNECESSARY ILLNESS robs our families and The Church (The Body of Christ) of the blessing of our full potential. Who wants to spend their life sick, running to Doctors, filling prescriptions, fighting with insurance companies, run down and chasing another diagnosis?? How much more short-tempered, angry, irritable & depressed are we when we "just don't feel good." How is this affecting our witness of Christ to this broken world?...and to our kids?...our families?...our friends? It's exhausting trying to change our own lifestyle habits & our children's diets once poor habits have set in, BUT it's never too late! Don't let that discourage or stop you if that's where you are starting. I work with families and help them make healthy changes every day. Ideally, we get well before the next pregnancy.... proactive & intentional (again, if possible). Prepared. Trained. HEALTHY >> so we can enjoy the moment & bond with our baby instead of spending 9-10 months sick, miserable, depressed, medicated, overwhelmed & completely exhausted before baby even arrives. If you have already had all your children, but they are sick... Grace! You simply take the next step in the right direction. Ask the Lord where to begin. If you are lead to work with me, we will find a plan that works for your family. YOU CAN CHANGE and YOUR BODY CAN HEAL!!! So much of this is the result of us not being informed as to how to properly care for our temples. Most of the traditional information and training and education and beliefs about childbirth and pregnancy are fear-based and not rooted in Truth or HOPE. Even much of the nutritional advice, books, apps and other resources are full of garbage, lies & fear. Anyone can put anything on the internet. We must learn to sift everything through the hand of God. The BEST, Christ-centered resource I would recommend to every pregnant woman is: The Courageous Mom Pre & Postnatal Course, resources & ministry. This is also ideal for the mommy-to-be who wants a do-over on her next pregnancy and birth (like me! - regarding recovering from the postpartum trauma I ended up going through and preparing for a VBAC home birth, God-willing). Childbirth has become big business, man-made, mechanical and treated like a disease. This is NOT God's plan. Childbirth is every bit physical, emotional AND Spiritual. We were designed to carry & deliver babies (not plan their due dates for our convenience and have them cut out of our bodies because it's more convenient for us or our Doctor or because we are afraid of the pain or because we are 2 days past our due date. What??) Ultrasounds are a blessing for us to be able to take a look inside (WHEN medically necessary) to make sure everything is ok. However, they were never intended to be used (abused) routinely at every pre-natal visit or for our viewing pleasures, especially not the new 3D and 4D Ultrasounds, which are purely for pleasure and not "diagnostic". These are not good for our fragile, developing babies. They are big money for Doctors who make us think we "need them" every visit, and it's easy to say YES when insurance covers it and we (understandably) can't wait to "see" our growing babies. Again, hear me, praise God for them WHEN MEDICALLY NECESSARY. My (bold) questions are these: How many are really "necessary"? Has anyone ever even mentioned to you that doing multiple ultrasounds during pregnancy has risks, and is even thought to be linked to autism, developmental issues, etc? If you knew the risks would you still do it? And is our impatience to "see" everything ahead of time really worth the potential risk? Each of us has to pray and decide that for ourselves. It's not for me. I've posted more info at the bottom of this blog on this topic. Now before someone gets offended, I am aware and grateful that there is a time and place for emergency C-sections and Ultrasounds. Praise God for them (WHEN medically necessary)! But much of what leads to a high risk pregnancy or emergency CAN BE PREVENTED if we are patient, properly educated and encouraged. We must prepare and learn what proper pre-natal care is and what a healthy (not a typical) pregnancy and birth looks like. We MUST learn to walk by faith and trust God above all else in more areas. Fear & hospital birthing are 2 of the biggest inhibitors to a natural, unmedicated, vaginal birth. Did you know: The most common major surgery performed in the U.S isn’t to remove an appendix or replace a knee anymore. It’s to deliver babies by C-section. Approximately 1 out of every 3 babies born in the US is now born via C-section (Born surgically!) This is so sad and so unnecessary. A C-section and multiple ultrasounds are easy to justify when insurance covers it, your Doctor promotes it, your friends are doing it, and you think it's the easier (safer) way to go. But it's not safer. Please, ladies. Wake up. Get informed. We are hurting our bodies, our children and the next generation. There is so much to learn about how enjoyable & simple childbirth CAN BE. There is a better way, the narrow way (literally...haha), the way that leads to more abundant life. God made our bodies to create & birth life!! FEAR is robbing us of our God-given abilities and supernatural birth stories. We have NOT been taught to seek God first before letting our insurance or Doctors dictate our healthcare decisions, or before letting fear convince us we "can't" do this or that. God provides! Are we seeking GOD before reading this book or that blog or taking this class or listening to that friend? We are taking advice from people who don't have the experience we desire for our pregnancy and childbirth. We hold onto stories of fear and trauma, and then other people's baggage & realities become the LIES we believe. This all passes into the womb, onto our kids and into our parenting, and then it becomes our childrens' stories. God is ultimately in control, but there IS MUCH that we are given control of. We can do better, friends. THERE IS SO MUCH HOPE Sisters, we are not our friends. We are not our parents. We are not our last birth experience. We are not motivated by fear. We are not the lies we have believed. A baby doesn't complete us and a baby won't save a marriage. WE ARE a clean slate, a new generation, a new story, a new creation in Christ, daughters of the MOST HIGH GOD (the God of peace, power & miracles). We are forgiven, teachable, redeemed, and unconditionally LOVED by a GOOD FATHER who knows how to parent US and our children and lead us perfectly. We CAN birth our children naturally and with much less pain. We are not afraid of pain for pain itself births so much healing and goodness as we work THROUGH it instead of constantly trying to avoid it. We cannot avoid pain in this life. The FEAR of pain is a place God wants to heal in us. In the moment of labor & delivery, we surrender to the process, let go of ALL fear so our body (uterus, cervix, vagina, perineum) can relax and naturally expel our baby, letting the story unfold, as long as it takes, according to God's will. (C-sections are there in case of emergency. We don't need to panic). I do strongly recommend sitting with the Lord and asking the Lord if there's anything He wants to teach you. Ask Him who should be in the room when you are giving birth (regardless of WHERE you are giving birth). ANYONE who brings up fear of any sort can inhibit labor & your desires for a natural (vaginal), unmedicated birth. If you feel strongly about delivering in a hospital, then pray about hiring a doula as your natural birth advocate. We live in a culture of extreme FEAR. Fear causes three physical, detrimental reactions in the body―tightening of the muscles, reduced blood flow to the birthing muscles, and the release of certain hormones―which increase the pain and discomfort of childbirth. Being properly educated, supported and prepared will significantly help you achieve the safest, healthiest and most enjoyable birth possible, even in a hospital setting. Also beware that the term "natural birth" is being misused, so ask the right questions to the right people and seriously consider working with a midwife (I am using a midwife vs Ob/Gyn and have loved every second of it!) if you truly desire a NATURAL, UNMEDICATED BIRTH WITHOUT INTERVENTIONS, a home birth or a birth center birth. Many women claim to have natural births simply because they have a vaginal birth, yet it's a vaginal birth with a whole slew of interventions, including epidurals. That's... not... natural. What has happened to our common sense? One naive intervention on a scared, misinformed or unprepared mother's part can QUICKLY turn into a cascade of interventions you never wanted that can wreak havoc on you and your baby, sometimes for the long haul. With the rate of c-section births in the U.S. being MORE THAN DOUBLE the “medically necessary” target of 10 percent to 15 percent that WHO says is ideal & safe, I personally wanted to stay as far away from a hospital as possible. This is the highest percentage in history and apparently the statistics are even worse here in Orange County, CA! Furthermore, infant and mother mortality rates have NOT improved with these statistics. My midwife has delivered well over 2000 babies and has had to transfer only about 5% of those women to the hospital. And of those, only about 1% had to have c-sections. This is what the statistics SHOULD look like. Statistically birth center and home births are safer than a hospital birth. Pray, do your research and talk to women who have amazing birth stories.... then decide what's best for YOU. Something has gone seriously wrong. Our culture teaches women to fear birth as a painful and traumatic experience. We are RUSHING something that should not be rushed, often pushing when we need to be relaxing, and panicking over things that don't call for an "emergency". The medical (business) model of childbirth is pushing us to become selfish (yes, I said it) and afraid, and we're being pressured to control everything that happens to us. This is not freedom. This bondage to fear and control is NOT God's best for us or the next generation. Women are being taught to plan everything ahead of time and to intervene and panic when things don't go perfectly according to someone else's agenda/timeline. We are leaving no room to wait, walk by faith and let God's perfect timing and plan unfold. We are being robbed of great JOY and peace. We are being robbed of beautiful birth stories. Childbirth is a great time to "exercise" patience and faith. After all, we're going to need it as we transition into the next season of motherhood, right?! :) Every woman, every baby, and every birth story is different and it should be. Trust God. Trust your body, His amazing creation. YOU CAN have an amazing birth story & experience! SOME HELPFUL RESOURCES YOU MAY ENJOY: Courageous Mom Pre & Postnatal Course (best overall; Christ-centered & holistic; ONLY resource to cover pre AND post-natal, which is essential) Hypnobirthing (book & CD/course) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (book) Mama Natural Online Birth Course & Website (Holistic, accurate, thorough, affordable) My own Birth Scriptures & Birth Declarations (I encourage you to create your own declarations, too) *Don't let the word "HYPNObirthing" scare you. As with ANYTHING, chew on the meat & spit out the bones. I am not at all confused or dappling in New Age. A lot of info in this book is incredibly helpful, especially understanding how the pregnant/birthing body works & the breathing techniques. I skipped over most of the visualizations & did not find the CD helpful ;) **You'll pay less for these 2 Online Birth Courses than you would pay for 1 local, specific technique course (like Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing, etc). We felt totally prepared, encouraged & informed, while not being limited to 1 technique. Neither course is fear-based, whereas many hospital courses can be. A (growing) LIST OF THINGS TO CONSIDER/PRAY ABOUT PREGNANCY/CHILDBIRTH: WHY does Natural Childbirth matter? Here is a list of the MANY benefits of going natural. Gentle Cesarean: If you're being told you HAVE to have a C-section, FIRST find out if that's actually true utilizing the resources in this blog and praying. Get a second opinion from a trusted natural mama or midwife, someone who won't be "gaining" convenience or financial reward from you having surgery. There ARE times when C-section is medically necessary (such as placentia previa, breech birth like mine, etc), in which case you can still opt for the healthier version of surgery. Check out this article on Gentle Cesarean and know what your options are. Then do your research to find the best hospital to accommodate YOUR birth plan and desires. Midwife vs Medical Doctor (Obstetrician): Midwives are specialists in (healthy, low-risk) pregnancy and giving birth with the role of looking after a pregnant woman and her baby during pregnancy, labor, birth and for a time, post-natally. The care and education you receive working with a midwife is so special and personal. They serve as an advocate FOR you, respecting YOUR desires, YOUR birth plan, and YOUR beliefs surrounding NATURAL CHILD BIRTH. They are licensed practitioners and beyond qualified to help women birth their babies naturally. They support the belief that less intervention is best, allowing you to birth in peace, without fear, without pressure and surrounded by lots of love and encouragement. They are also equipped for trauma, stitches, etc and know when to transfer a woman to the hospital in special circumstances. Since anyone can find an OBGYN or deliver in a hospital, I want to educate you more on the alternatives and the benefits of choosing a midwife. Perhaps you'll be inspired to consider giving birth at home or in a birthing center vs a hospital. Here's a link to my midwife's FAQ's page to help you. Here's another list of interview questions to help YOU find the right midwife. A few more resources about midwifery: Midwives Alliance of North America California Association of Midwifery California Families for Access to Midwives Medical Sharing vs Insurance: Personally, we made the switch from Health Insurance to (Christian) Medical Sharing in 2014. Zach and I are both self-employed and could not justify paying $700+/month for 2 healthy mid-30's adults to have insurance that doesn't cover real health care. We only use traditional health care in the case of an ER visits or trauma. We switched to Medi-Share (but after baby will likely switch to one that covers more alternative health care like Acupuncture, Chiropractic care & Supplements) and have never looked back. We pay less than $200/month and CHOOSE how we want to INVEST in our health. We CHOOSE to carry a high deductible that won't "sink us" in the case of a major health tragedy but at a risk level we are comfortable with. We can get our monthly Chiropractic adjustments, Acupuncture as needed, all our supplements and even pre-natal massage as needed for less than what we HAVE to pay for full coverage insurance we don't use. We don't waste money on alcohol or junk food anymore, so it is more affordable to buy organic, healthy foods (though we still try to be frugal with our spending). We can save the rest (now it's being applied to our home birth... yay!). For my pregnancy we KNEW we wanted to do a home water birth, so we are paying the discounted, out-of-pocket, cash price for that (still less annually than what we would have paid for insurance!). All pre-natal labs are included in the $5400 midwifery fee, Ultrasound is not. When you pay out-of-pocket, you see how much is "covered by insurance" that is not really necessary, and how the traditional health care system is so abused and confused. You THINK about every decision you make when you SEE the money come out of your bank account. We will meet our "deductible" with the pre-natal expenses this year, so if anything unexpected comes up (or for some reason I did have to get transferred to a hospital during child birth or otherwise) all those expenses will be covered at 100%. This is what works for OUR FAMILY because we choose to take responsibility for our health, use natural medicine, and don't run to Doctors quickly. We have been proactive for many years. Typically, families with traditional insurance will choose whatever is covered by their plan. I get it. I would simply encourage you to get informed and educated and hire a doula to help you and advocate for you if you will deliver in the hospital. It is still possible to have a healthy, enjoyable, natural birth in a hospital setting, but you may have to fight for it. You may need to ask trusted friend WHICH hospital is best. You'll want a birth plan. You'll want to know how to best prepare. You'll want to know the different pressures you will likely face. I personally want to enjoy every second of this once in a lifetime experience. We want the freedom to make certain decisions ahead of time (such as: knowing my midwife WELL & knowing SHE will be the one at my birth with another certified birth assistant/midwife, no vaccines, no Vitamin K shot, no Hepatitis B shot, no antibiotics, no chemical induction or drugs, no epidural, no early cord clamping, freedom to choose my birthing position, freedom to use herbs & essential oils & flower remedies as needed, freedom to use the birthing tub, freedom to be patient/breathe without fear/pressures for C-section, freedom to snuggle our baby immediately and welcome her in a loving, peaceful environment and then remain in the comfort of my own home, freedom to play worship music & read scripture cards, freedom to open the windows, eat healthy, drink, etc etc). Statistically, home birthing is safer and healthier (facts you won't get from the hospital, Doctors, or traditional western medicine). Bottom line >> Be informed about your rights, your options, and God's ability to provide for you and your family! Alternatives to Routine Newborn Procedures: This is a well written article. No need for me to reinvent the wheel ;) Ultrasounds: Did you know that there are risks to having routine ultrasounds, 3D/4D ultrasounds and excessive doppler heartbeat checks?? The rule of thumb is the less intervention, the better. They should ONLY be used when medically necessary. Ultrasounds are supposed to be DIAGNOSTIC tests, not a photo booth for the fetus each month. We are abusing these privelages (we need to train PATIENCE, a fruit of the Spirit, and FAITH) and our children are likely suffering for it. Even the FDA (shocker) warns AGAINST 3D & 4D screenings. Here is a great article that thoroughly covers this topic. (Delayed) Umbilical Cord Clamping: Traditionally (especially in the hospital), the cord is cut immediately. It is ideal to WAIT until the cord quits pulsing (20-30min, sometimes more!) before clamping/cutting the umbilical cord. There is vital nutrition, rich blood, stem cells and immunity that come from NOT rushing the birth process. Again, patience. This makes a HUGE impact on baby's future health, further eliminating any need for Vitamin K shots/drops and other "medical intervention". Many hospitals will not allow you this privelage, and it is not an option with a C-section, as they must suture you back up asap to prevent infection and get you off of anesthesia asap. Vaccines: Read my blog called: Educate before you vaccinate. There is a growing list of resources at the bottom of the blog for you to do your own research. Watch the informative (not fear-based) 9-part docu-series called Vaccines Revealed. From here you can get many other resources, as well. National Vaccine Information Center (website, social media, newsletter & calls to action) Children's Health Defense (website, newsletter & social media pages) ImmunityEducationGroup.org (website, social media pages & podcast) Vernix: God's lotion! This is the cheesy white stuff that covers your baby's skin at birth. Try to prevent your support team from wiping it off. Instead, rub it in and don't bathe baby for a few days...or over a week! Vitamin K & Delayed Circumcision: Regarding Vitamin K, we personally will NOT do this (and wouldn't even if we were having a boy). Babies are not supposed to have high Vitamin K levels the day they are born. It's NORMAL. Their levels actually peak on Day 8 as they develop and get good nutrition from mommy's perfect food, breast milk. Isn't it interesting that God told Abraham to circumcise all newborn males on the 8th day?? Genesis 17:12 "From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth." Interesting eh? Check out this blog I found that co-references scripture with science! And for the record, if we ever have a baby boy and decide to circumcise (my husband gets the final say on that decision- ha!), we would still wait until Day 8. Typically, you can find a Doctor's office or Rabbi to do it. Mega-dosing babies with Vitamin K (which is NOT a vitamin, by the way >> Learn more & see ingredients in the Vitamin K shot) is dangerous and illogical. Oral Vitamin K is safer, yes, but in my opinion (IMO) still unnecessary and risky (I simply ask God to give me wisdom because you'll find arguments & "research" these days to match anything you want to believe). IMO, the benefits DO NOT outweigh the risks. I plan to intentionally eat Vitamin K-rich foods and drink Nettle tea in my last month of pregnancy (we should be eating these regularly anyway). My opinion: The further we have gotten from taking responsibility for our own health, refusing to see our own sin, getting good sleep, eating real, organic foods, and eating PLENTY of servings of produce each day (some people get none), the more we are seeing serious chronic health issues and gut problems. We are passing false information, bad habits, fear and illness on to the next generation. Thus, our children and grandchildren are suffering for it. The Body of Christ is suffering (unnecessarily). Western Medicine sees the "symptom" and makes another medical intervention and drug for it instead of educating and encouraging people, never getting to the root of the problem. Thus, there will be no "cure". Medical research also fails to include Biblical, foundational Truth. When it comes to health and "health care", we tend to follow the world's ways blindly without question, uninformed of the risks involved. Does intervening with pregnancy as much as we are and injecting a NEWBORN baby with all these drugs and vaccines really make sense? Does it feel natural? Are we really healthier as a society as a result? (I'll answer that...NO! In fact, we are worse). We have some serious health crises on our hands. Please pray about this... and make sure you cast down ALL FEAR and pride ;) Lord, help us. Teach us. Lead us. In Jesus name. Amen. MERCY REIGN. God has already used this baby girl to bring so much healing, revelation and joy to Zach and I. GOD'S MERCY (kindness & compassion) is a promise to all of us!! We get another chance, whether you are pregnant, desire to be pregnant, are a mom already raising her children or a grandmother, OR a female friend who speaks life & Truth (that's all of us!). YOU are a mouthpiece of HOPE & TRUTH for your family and other women! Praying blessings and Truth over all of you and for a healthy new generation, in Jesus name!! Check out a podcast I had the honor of recording with Alisa Keeton, founder of the Faith-based Fitness Ministry: Revelation Wellness (available on Podbean App or itunes). The RevWell Instructor Training Program changed my life & played a HUGE role in my freedom, which ultimately lead to me saying YES to God's will & bringing children into this world! What blessings we would have missed out on had I stayed "stuck" in my sin and fear and pride. I'm still a work in progress, but I can certainly share what I have learned and what God has redeemed thus far! HOPE HEALS. Vaccine Injury is real, but there is hope for healing! 4 year old Sirena took a turn for the worst around age 2. I started working with her at age 4.5. In just 3 months she is significantly better, no longer considered "autistic"! This family's life has been forever changed! Listen, share & give hope to other families who have been affected by this "plague" called vaccine injury. *Subscribe to my podcast channel to listen anywhere, anytime and get notified when other testimonies, Biblical Health teachings or Christ-centered workouts get posted. Do you have real health issues going on or problems other Doctors can't figure out?? Are you finding yourself frantically researching online?? If you're being honest with yourself, are you growing weary, frustrated or confused?? Have you lost hope?? Is there any, teeny possible chance that your quest to "self-help" could be rooted in pride or fear?? #1 PLEASE, take a deep breath and read this through to the end. *WARNING: Put your Holy armor on and cast off any Spirit of offense ;) #2 And PLEASE, in Jesus name, stop. Breathe. Pray. ASK yourself, have you actually invited the Lord whole-heartedly into your "research" or quest for healing and answers? Pause. Stop trying to self-diagnose on the internet, stop buying random products from friends on social media, stop driving yourself crazy, stop striving... what I'm seeing & witnessing is madness. It's is a trap. We have taken Satan's bait. The enemy has SO MANY PEOPLE CONFUSED, DISTRACTED & STRIVING. Anyone can post anything online. You can't "unsee" or "unread" those things that we are obsessively researching, many of which aren't true, aren't accurate, are NOT Spirit lead, don't apply to us, have a hidden agenda, or are rooted in fear or pride or selfish ambition. This story is becoming WAY TOO COMMON. So many patients walk into their appointments hopeless, exhausted, confused, broke and broken... Often they come in with BAGS full of supplements (or meds) they've tried or been "recommended" (and they're still sick). Everywhere I go people have health questions. People are desperate, deceived & confused. It grieves my heart. I cry for this world. I cry for people who are stuck in this trap. I cry for the bondage I see people in and the things they are blindly defending or doing or obsessing over that keep them in bondage. People end up spending WAY MORE money & time desperately researching online and listening to (or following) random fitness "gurus"/friends/health coaches/bloggers/network marketers who really don't know what they're talking about, only to end up with minimal results, never truly healing or getting to the real root(s) of the problem. A "fitness expert" or health coach (for example) may offer a wealth of "healthy info" but are not qualified to truly diagnose, get to the root of the problem, or manage major health problems. Sure, you can make some lifestyle changes in the right direction, but it's still only a stepping stone for most people, that can ultimately prolong the process and cost MORE MONEY if you really need professional help to know what YOUR body needs. How can you know what is CAUSING your symptoms? You need to know what YOUR BODY is allergic to, deficient in, what organs are weak, WHAT Toxins are hiding in YOUR body & exactly WHAT diet, product & dosage YOUR body needs to heal. This is what I do everyday and people are getting well. Like, miraculously better! And it's not rocket science. At the same time, there's not some "one size fits all" protocol for every diagnosis that you can just look up online or text someone to get the answer to. Random health advice can't answer these questions (and many more), which are vital to healing. Supplements and drugs can't fix emotional and Spiritual problems. It's often more than just a change of diet. Furthermore, if you follow/listen to "experts" who deny Jesus as Lord or who ignore the heart issues (emotional, spiritual), then you'll stay trapped trying to medicate or supplement or diet away problems that cannot be healed in that way, only to fester and get worse behind the scenes the longer they linger... leading to more "random symptoms" (aka: diagnoses) & fear. If you keep getting tests or even running to Doctors that don't answer the right questions (like most bloodwork and most of what you'll find in Western Medicine), you can't get well. It's a trap. I need to make a bold statement: Pride, fear & the idolatry of "knowledge" (researching everything to death... becoming self glorified "experts") are not leading us to more wholeness, Truth & freedom. Are we seeking FIRST the Kingdom of God in our pursuit of wellness & weight loss?? Remember: "my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” - Jesus (Matthew 11:30) I'm constantly witnessing 2 extremes: OBSESSION vs NEGLECT NEGLECT: The person who refuses to change (their diet or habits) or repent from a certain sin (something that's mastering them), spinning their wheels in the viscous cycle of denial, deception and lack of discipline. No matter how much other people can see the cause of their sickness, they are stuck in NEGLECT. Most of been here at one time or another... and what we don't see is that we are literally quenching the Spirit in our own lives and therefore, in the Body of Christ (see verse below). The consequence of gluttony is a HEAVY BURDEN to carry. Food (or fill in the blank) has become our "god". OBSESSION: The person who has become obsessive, bound by fear (of food, of Doctors, of God not providing, of gaining a pound, of aging, etc) and they refuse to get the help they need, controlling everything that goes into their body, perhaps obsessively working out, over-investing in the "outer appearance" (as my friend, Alisa Keeton, once said... "the prison of pretty") yet still so sick and tormented on the inside. Our body (or beauty) has become our "god". >> THIS is a HEAVY BURDEN to carry. Proverbs 15:12 "Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise." Proverbs 19:20 "Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise." Romans 12:4-5 "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part (each one of us!) has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all BELONG TO EACH OTHER." (emphasis mine) Neither one of these people is free. Freedom is neither religion nor rebellion, vanity nor vileness, obsession nor neglect. A perfect body, better looks and perfect before/after photos will never satisfy. "Beauty is fleeting" -Proverbs 31:30 Ice cream, soda, junk food, alcohol, candy...COFFEE ... it returns void. The comfort is temporary. FREEDOM IS FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE. Jesus must be allowed to take His rightful place back on the throne of our hearts, where He can refresh us with Truth and grace and power. REPENTANCE is the secret to putting everything back in order :) All these other "gods" will be forced to step down, the scales are removed from our eyes, and we begin to see clearly what's been keeping us sick, while experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Through repentance and a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, we see the FRUIT of the Spirit....self control (discipline) start to manifest in our lives and we step back on that narrow path! This is FREEDOM! God's strength vs our own strength. WISDOM from Heaven vs "more research & knowledge". It's supernatural!!! SO let's wrap this up...WHEN we research (yes, there's a time & place) we MUST put our armor on. WE MUST sift what we are reading through God's Word and His hands. Don't let everything you read take root in your mind & heart. Exercise discernment, and if you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, confused... then something is amiss. Stop researching & start praying. Then WAIT on the Lord. IN JESUS NAME, WE MUST QUIT MAKING IMPULSIVE DECISIONS BASED ON FEAR. Get offline. Unfollow those who tempt, stumble, confuse or motivate through fear/pride. PRAY. (Earnestly & humbly) and pray some more. Ask God where to begin/go. Who should help YOU? *God. Will. Confirm. If you're lead to get real help, find a good Holistic Doctor to help you. Internet research cannot replace the decade of professional education, the years of clinical experience, and (hopefully) the gifting God has given "good Doctors" to easily be able to help you. This is what I/we do every day. If God is leading you... YOU CAN TRUST THE PROCESS. One visit will clear up SO MUCH CONFUSION & help you understand YOUR body. You'll have accountability, comfort & clear direction. It's quite simple. (Yes, you will need more than that initial visit to ultimately stay on track, and the frequency and duration will look different for each patient.) Drugs aren't going to FIX your problem. More bloodwork is OFTEN not necessary. Essential oils are AMAZING (I use them myself & with patients), but ALONE they aren't going to FIX you. Your "FRIENDS" diagnosis, diet or treatment plan isn't YOUR plan. You're unique. You need your own exam and plan. HEALTH is not "1 size fits all" & never will be. The proper diet for you isn't in some book or program AND it will change as your body changes. EVERY PATIENT'S TREATMENT PLAN and DIET LOOKS DIFFERENT because it is customized for YOU, your body, your diagnosis, your needs... There is HOPE. This is what I do every day. I'm not confused or spending endless hours researching. I spend more time in God's word than obsessing over MORE education (foolish to the world; wisdom in GOD'S eyes). Many people are getting their hope and health restored & it's not rocket science. He has gifted certain people to help His people. By following His lead, you will avoid "the wolves". God has a better way friends :) Proverbs 1:7 "The FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." Yes, it will take faith ;) Yes you will have to die to yourself a little bit more. It's usually pretty humbling ;) But friends, there is so much HOPE!!!!! It is worth it. On 7/23/17 we found out that Baby G was a Baby GIRL!!! Mercy Reign Grimm Zach & I weren't sure we wanted kids. At 37 you can imagine how many comments & questions (and even rumors) there has been as to WHY we don't have kids yet. We trusted if kids were God's plan for us that He would change our hearts & prepare us, in HIS time. My prayer was simply this: "God if you desire us to have children, then put the desire on BOTH our hearts... AND... will you inspire Zach to ask me for a baby?" God was not tapping His watch and rolling His eyes at us ;) God had us focused on our own personal growth & healing & strengthening our marriage BEFORE bringing kids into this crazy world. There's been A LOT to overcome if you know our story ;) Well, God answered both prayers! Last July I held my friend's newborn baby and I loved it!! Then, I had a dream (yes, again). God planted a strong & sudden desire in my heart to have a baby. In the dream, He told me it would be a girl and He gave me her name (Mercy Reign). I woke with a strong desire to have a baby! Within a short time, Zach started talking about wanting kids! We were surrendered to His plans & His timing.
When I was 24, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was told I would likely never be able to have kids. (I NEVER BELIEVED THEM!) My Doctor pushed for a hysterectomy OR a "minor surgery" to "clip" my sacral nerves (so I couldn't feel my uterus/pain... which would also cut off "function" to my uterus!) The other option was to take Leupron which would immediately put my body into menopause. What?! Ironically I worked for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in St. Louis, MO at the same time making this exact drug. I KNEW what went into it. I said no! I was not saved and knew little about health back then, but I KNEW something had to have CAUSED this endometriosis. I knew there had to be a better answer. I opted for birth control pills (the lesser evil at the time) and made some drastic changes. This was a turning point in my life. This is when I quit working in the Pharmaceutical Industry and made the terrifying decision to go back to school and get my Doctorate. I was determined to "fix myself." THIS is ultimately how I got saved (moving to Nashville after graduation... still desperate & broken)... and what God used to launch me onto a journey of health, wholeness & freedom I never knew was possible! Obviously there are hours of testimony between then and now... SO...fast forward to last Fall 2016, after the dream. I was coming off of an insanely busy & stressful season. I could tell my body needed a "reset" before trying to get pregnant. Wisdom said: WAIT on the Lord. It was so worth it. My periods were suddenly all over the place. I was overwhelmed and exhausted. The stress of the 2 years prior had taken their toll on my body. Making and having a baby is serious business and CAN BE an enjoyable, healthy, nearly painless experience if we "train" properly for it. Most misacrriages and infertility are preventable. So I spent last fall getting acupuncture, cleansing, resting and letting my hormones re-balance (as the Lord lead). We thought we were ready in November...and the Spiritual war began! NOVEMBER: Zach got heavy metal poisoning at work from soldering old cast iron pipes. Not good for making a baby and birth defects! DECEMBER (ovulation time again): I bulged 2 discs in my back with severe muscle sprain. Had to close my office for 3 weeks! Not possible to make a baby ;) JANUARY: Still recovering from back injury. (Still not God's timing) FEBRUARY: God confirms I'm supposed to open a new office & provides the space! (But God! I thought you wanted us to have a baby! Are you SURE I should be opening a new office??? Shouldn't I stay home & keep it simple???) ...Questioning God...Busy....More warfare...Shift of focus (temporarily)... Still not pregnant... MARCH: all focus is on opening new office. BUSY again. More warfare! Ovulation seems to come & go at the worst times! ...still not pregnant. Trusting. Doubting. Trusting. Doubting. APRIL: Still getting settled in new office... actually got to "try" to get pregnant...more warfare...but still not God's timing. Now, I must say, if I were the devil and knew someone was going to bring a little God-fearing warrior into this world....I'D TRY TO STOP THEM, TOO!!! But God...Satan and these "obstacles" were simply tools that GOD ALLOWED to get us where God wanted us and were all part of God's perfect time, order and plan. MAY: Mercy Reign Grimm was conceived!!! God's perfect timing. He gave us what we didn't deserve (Mercy). We both abused sex, our bodies and our "worldly freedom" to take care of the consequences of our past sin. I used to advocate for "women's rights" and abortion. BUT GOD...He is merciful and faithful. Even in my sin and ignorance, He gave me the wisdom to say no to a hysterectomy over 13 years ago for such a time as this. We never had to battle infertility. We simply had to be patient to wait on His timing. A January baby is perfect for us. We are so humbled and excited about being Mercy's parents and give all glory to our good God!! His love and grace never run out. He has given us beauty for ashes and redeemed all that the enemy meant for destruction!!! "You are blessed because BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED that the Lord would do what He said" -Luke 1:45 NLT When we bring a healthy dish to an event or party or serve dinner for friends...why do we feel the need to explain ourselves and warn everyone that what we will be serving or bringing will be "healthy"? Shouldn't we all regard our bodies as a gift from God? The Bible says our bodies are NOT our own. We don't get to do whatever we want whenever we want. Jesus gave it all so we could be free....but we don't use our freedom to destroy our freedom. We don't indulge in the daily lusts of the flesh and live without discipline, only to destroy our health and then chase our symptoms with medications and surgery. For me, fueling my body with real food is just a way of life. It's not a diet. I'm not obsessed with my body. I eat to fuel my temple so that I can feel well, love people well and do my Calling with joy & passion! I live a disciplined life (not perfect life), not giving in to my flesh with every craving and desire, so that I am constantly training yielding to the Spirit, not my flesh. I want to be a good example of God's Word in word AND action. 1 Corinthians 9:27 "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
The reality is, when I'm (we're) not eating well & not feeling well, I'm (we're) short-tempered, lethargic, critical, cranky, foggy and operating in less joy & kindness. Many are medicated. We have less to give. We are setting a bad example for the next generation or the people we are entrusted to lead. We are quenching the Spirit. Of course it is OK to find pleasure in food, but we do not abuse the privilege of food. REAL FOOD is delicious!! REAL FOOD is medicine and life. DEAD FOOD & FAKE FOOD are slow death, inflammation & chronic illness. Real food is energy (coffee is a stimulant, not energy). We are not only selling ourselves short and suffering unnecessary consequences, but selling the Body of Christ and our families short. I believe God has a great exchange He wants to make with us when we are willing to lay down the "lusts of the flesh". Of all the changes I needed to make in my diet/lifestyle for my health to be restored over the years, God has given me far more in Heavenly rewards! I am not "missing out." I love food... REAL FOOD. But it is not my God. When we're around people who care nothing about what they put into their bodies, do they feel the need to explain and warn that everything that will be served will be genetically modified, loaded with sugar, preservatives, gluten, soy, dairy, food dyes, pesticides, and other unknown chemicals labeled as "food." NO. Don't be stumbled by another's lack of discipline. Turn the tables. Just eat/bring your healthy dishes to parties. Don't be a food snob. Don't make a scene. Don't shame others. Don't mock those who are not sharing the same convictions. Rather...YOU be the pioneer. YOU be the encourager. YOU be the (gracious) Leader. YOU be the example of discipline and self-control. YOU be the example of health and transformation. Show excitement about how delicious it is, what you're learning and how your body, heart and mind are changing! Eat. Enjoy seconds (or thirds!). Stop complaining. Stop "dieting". Stop jumping on the next "lose weight fast" bandwagon. Stop counting calories. It's fleeting! Just eat real food. If God leads, get help. If you're on a specific plan with me because you're on the road to recovery, focus on what you CAN EAT, not what you are fasting from. Be free. Lean on the Lord for strength and perseverance. If someone is offended that you won't eat "their food" yet God has put a conviction on YOUR heart to start walking in discipline and caring for YOUR temple so YOU can serve long and well... then THEIR OFFENSE is THEIR STUFF. You please God, not man. Always exercise grace and receive God's grace when YOU slip. Likewise, exercise boundaries, discipline and discernment. I hear of so many people compromising in the arena of (food & drink) discipline because of people-pleasing or "lusts of the flesh". Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. REST in God's power. Stop striving. Stop worrying. Stop. Rest. Breathe. Ask God for a fresh filling or baptism of the Holy Spirit. Walk in power. One day at a time. Ask HIM what the first step is. Do not obsess over food or your body. Learn to see it as a gift, the temple where God resides and the vessel by which you get to be an example of Jesus to a broken world... YOU....the ONLY BIBLE that many will ever read. What we do with our body matters!! What we feed it matters. How we love and live matters. We live in a gluttonous culture. The majority of people (yes, MANY Christians...) indulge in the flesh, especially when it comes to food and drink... and our health care system, our health globally, our children, our marriages, and The Body of Christ are suffering as a result. WE can be the change. Stop living to eat and EAT TO LIVE. Devour God's Word more than you devour anything else. Nothing is sweeter than Jesus. Today is a new day. REST in His grace!! Approximately 50%-75% of Americans & 95% of Autistic (or Spectrum disorder) people have an MTHF-R genetic mutation. A person with this genetic mutation cannot produce the enzyme called Methyl Tetra Hydrate Folate Reductase (or MTHF-R for short). This enzyme is ESSENTIAL for methylation processes to occur in the body, which are critical for detoxification & wellness. These people are not methylating properly. Your body HAS to be able to break down folate (B9) to ultimately produce glutathione in the liver. Without glutathione, these people cannot properly eliminate toxins from their bodies, particularly through the digestive system (AKA: they are chronically toxic, sick & have liver & gut problems). In case you don't already know, MOST chronic health problems tie into the gut. Did you know that ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Atherosclerosis, Autism, Auto-immune disease, Bipolar & Schizophrenia & other mental illness, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, IBS, Osteoporosis, PCOS, Hormone Imbalances, and so many other "diagnoses" are primarily inflammatory bowel disorders! Emotions and Spiritual warfare also play a major role that most Doctors are ignoring. I always look at people Holistically. You cannot just focus on symptoms or the location of the pain or symptom. Now add those emotional and spiritual layers to a severely imbalanced gut (and add a genetic mutation that affects nearly EVERY process in the body), and you are now prey for the enemy to turn up the fear, doubt, frustration & hopelessness. Your mind can't work right at this point. BUT... YOU CAN HEAL FROM THIS!! Do not try to do this on your own. You need ask God what the FIRST step is. Ask HIM for a referral to a trusted Holistic Doctor. Adding psychotropic drugs (like anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds), pain meds or other Pharmaceutical drugs to this mess is a recipe for disaster. It does not HEAL the patient. It essentially tranquilizes & numbs them, adding more insult to injury behind the scenes. Eventually the list of meds gets longer and longer while the patient gets sicker and sicker. Medication does NOT get the the root of the problem, it masks it. You have to actively participate in your health journey to get well. You will have to change your diet and lay down some things you used to enjoy. But if we are being really honest with ourselves... cravings and "bad habits" are just a more palatable way of saying "lusts of the flesh". Jesus is bigger than every craving, habit, addiction, obstacle, imbalance & doubt we have. When you truly want to be well, you will do whatever it takes. When the pain of regret or illness surpasses the pain of change, you will change. And you can! Jesus is your secret weapon. I witness miracles every week! In my office, we help you change without shaming you or ever getting mad at you. We always point you back to the Lord and motivate you through LOVE & GRACE. Fear is not of God, so avoid those who use fear for motivation.
Moving on. 95% of our neurotransmitters are produced in the gut (not the brain!). Our gut & brain develop from the SAME fetal tissue. It's all related. Don't roll your eyes. It's true! Remember, 95% of Autistic children have this (heterozygous or homozygous) genetic mutation. The prevelance of this genetic mutation seems to be one major reason why some people are really susceptible to adverse reactions to drugs, vaccines, GMO foods, processed grains & any other chemical or toxin, while other people do not react so significantly. Toxins literally build up in the body causing severe chronic illness, chronic pain syndromes, a compromised immune system, the inability to heal, microbiome imbalances & psychological issues ranging from mild to severe. Folic Acid, found in grains & most processed foods, builds up in these people's bodies instead of being assimilated, absorbed & utilized for healthy bodily functions. Furthermore, the toxic overload of this Folic Acid often masks dangerously LOW levels of the other B vitamins. I thought a bulleted list would be the easiest way to summarize... MTHF-R MUTATIONS CAN AFFECT THE FOLLOWING:
A genetic mutation does not mean you cannot be helped. In fact, this means that once you change your diet and provide the CORRECT nutrients, that you will see significant results in the body's ability to heal from all kinds of chronic and "un-curable" conditions!! There is hope! If you are sick or have any serious "diagnoses," there is much more work to be done in the gut and otherwise, so I highly recommend scheduling an appointment so that I can test you or consult with you to customize a plan specifically for you. If you are/were a patient and you were one of the hard cases that we just could NOT figure out why your blood pressure wouldn't heal, or your gut wouldn't completely heal, or we couldn't get cholesterol numbers into range, or you still feel "stuck"... I BET this is one piece of the puzzle, a key that could unlock a lot of healing pathways in your body. I'd love the opportunity to work with you again! Remember, 50% of the population has this, which means those numbers are only going to increase over the next few generations. If you cannot get to the bottom of your health issues, assume you have this until you learn otherwise and take proper action (see below). Also, I would NOT VACCINATE your kids IF YOU or YOUR SPOUSE has this or any auto-immune condition. Get your child tested for this genetic mutation before making a decision that changes your child's life forever. If you have this or suspect you have this, then your kids are at even higher risk. Read my blog "Educate Before You Vaccinate" for more information. Watch: The Animated Genome to understand what a genome is and why it matters to each of us. This is an excellent 5-minute video in genetics and genomics. WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
*You can purchase METHYL COMBO through my ONLINE STORE at wholesale cost. Please note: if you want custom care or have questions you will need to make an appointment. I must have Intake & Consent Forms & a thorough consult with you and test you to answer specific questions for you. * NOTE & 2024 UPDATE: While many want to know if they have this gene mutation, I now (in 2024) do not encourage people to spend money on this. I used to. But once you learn better, you do better. If you have chronic health issues, I know and assume you likely have this. I want ROOT CAUSE information. WHAT is stuck in your body? WHAT is causing your health issues? This is the better investment. I now focus on ROOT CAUSE lab testing. WHat is involved in this varies from person to person. But testing for MTHF-R and other genetics does NOT give me information to use to get you well. Identifications of the interferences hiding in your body DOES. And from there I can customize a very strategic detox and health plan just for YOU. Warning: Not all MD's will know about this mutation or believe it is matters. I have had patients who have been mocked, shamed or denied the test by their other Doctors (just FYI). I'm also hearing from patients that Medical Doctors are telling them that if they have only 1 mutation (heterozygous) that it has no affect on your health. THIS IS NOT TRUE.  woops - forgot the baking soda in photo!
Natural deodorant THAT WORKS is hard to find. I really don't want to have to make all my own stuff. I'm busy. I work. I homeschool. We are busy with church. But some things are just better & less expensive homemade. This recipe saves me money, will make great gifts, AND works FAR better than even my favorite natural deodorant, PiperWai. I did some research & prayed, and the Lord downloaded another winning recipe!!! Enjoy :)
5 Tbsp arrowroot powder: Amazon or Azure Standard (bulk) 3 Tbsp baking soda 3 Tbsp organic (raw) coconut oil 3 tsp 3% hydrogen peroxide 1 tsp jojoba oil 1 capsule Nature's Sunshine Activated Charcoal (opened) 1 capsule Nature's Sunshine Magnesium Complex (opened) 12 drops Nature's Sunshine Peppermint Essential Oil 12 drops Nature's Sunshine Lavendar Essential Oil Mix all ingredients thoroughly until you have a smooth, silky, light grey consistency. Store in an old PiperWai jar or small 2 oz glass jar. This recipe makes 2 jars. Scoop a small piece out and massage into your underarms. It won't stain your skin ;) This has been tested through multiple spin classes, full days of work, and even 2 days without a shower (don't judge me!). It works. Every ingredient matters, serves a specific purpose in balancing pH, absorbing moisture, and killing bacteria/fungus (odor), and was chosen prayerfully ;) Both Magnesium Complex & Activated Charcoal are great to have on hand and will not go to waste. Activated Charcoal is an essential in your natural medicine cabinet. It can be used to stop diarrhea, for food poisoning, to remove heavy metals, to take right before or following vaccines or amalgam filling removal to help remove the heavy metals (will need to take for 1-3 months usually) and chemicals from your body. You can mix a capsule with your toothpaste to make homemade whitening toothpaste (I know it's black...it won't stain...it will WHITEN!) or to a face mask recipe to do a good skin detox. It is safe to use on kids, pets or adults for any time you need to "absorb" something out of the body (toxins) that doesn't belong. Take as directed with a glass of water. Magnesium is the #1 mineral deficiency so most people need this. If you are getting leg cramps, muscle spasms, are on prescription medications or have constipation, Magnesium Complex could be beneficial for you. If you are taking too much you will know because it will give you loose stools. Therefore, it makes a great natural laxative. It relaxes our muscles (good for sprains/strains/spasms) AND our smooth muscle (colon), to aid in healthy bowel movements. It is NOT a cure-all, however. Constipation, headaches, etc will usually have other layers involved that need to be addressed (ie: Candida overgrowth, low stomach acid or enzymes, liver congestion, IC valve problems, etc). * DO NOT use Peppermint Essential Oil if you are nursing as it will dry up your breast milk. Choose Tea Tree instead of Peppermint or just stick to Lavender Essential Oil (double the amount to replace the Peppermint) to be safe. * DO NOT use citrus oils if you will be in the sun at all as they will make you photo-sensitive. Your eyes can become sensitive to the any bright light and your skin will burn very easily if you are in the sun any amount of time. SUGAR & BODY ODOR AND HYPER-HYDROSIS Body odor, excessive sweating, or clammy hands and feet (aka: hyperhydrosis) are symptoms that our bodies are toxic. Body odor is caused by toxins and hormone and microbiome imbalances. Hyperhydrosis is caused by adrenal fatigue, excessive stress, neurological toxicity, and overstimulation, all of which keep the body in fight or flight mode. Traditional antiperspirants contain aluminum, a neurotoxin that “shuts down” the nervous/lymphatic system in our underarms to “prevent sweating”. However, sweating is natural and essential for daily detoxification and overall health. Sweating via the underarms is especially essential to breast health since those are the lymph nodes that drain/cleanse toxins from that region of the body. In the same respect, toxins applied to the underarms are contributing to increases in breast cancer and diseases. Anything that we apply, ingest, or inject anywhere onto or into our bodies that contain neurotoxins or other poisons will affect the many other systems in our body since we are ONE body with MANY systems, which are all connected. The lump sum of toxicity is one major layer of “stress” which can lead to other more serious symptoms and diseases. In “fight or flight” mode, our sympathetic nervous system is working overtime and the PARAsympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system is under-functioning, causing any combination of excessive sweating, body odor, anxiety, mood swings, digestive problems, skin problems, thyroid disorders, brain fog, fatigue, weakened or overactive immune system, body aches, other neurological symptoms, hormone imbalances, mental/emotional disorders, ADHD, insomnia, etc. If you’ve made it this far in the challenge, you now know sugar feeds both bacteria and yeast, which means it feeds both dis-ease and disease. Things we can do to begin addressing some of these issues are:
SWEAT! My DIY deodorant is an underarm daily “detox” that works incredibly well all day long to fight body odor and to help pull out even the toughest of toxins over time. I take the honor of teaching & influencing God's people VERY SERIOUSLY. I don't consider you "my followers." My deepest desire is to make you BETTER FOLLOWERS OF JESUS :) Facebook/social media & blogging are a PRIVILEGE, a platform GOD has given us to influence others in some way. We ALL answer to God for the decisions we make, the things we say, the pictures we post (whether we believe it or not). It takes humility to surrender ALL that we have to the Lord. AND It's never too late to make a change ;) My page looks VERY different than it did several years ago as I've let the Lord discipline me, correct me, sift me and change me. God is gracious!! I do not deserve the platform He has given me, and I too am a work in progress. Please forgive me if anything I have said or posted in the past has lead you further from the Lord. It grieves my heart (as it did God's) when I used to flaunt my success, my body & wild party pictures for anyone to see :( Pride. Yuck. Thank God for His grace & loving-kindness...and that He disciplines those He loves!
On another note, if what WE'RE looking at on social media is distracting us from following Jesus, our family, our work/ministry...causing confusion, anxiety, jealousy, perverted thoughts, lust, anger or tempting us to sin...then it's time to make a change. Just because someone is your "friend", doesn't mean you have to "follow". You can stay friends but "UNFOLLOW". You answer to the Lord, not people. Perhaps God is calling you to fast from social media for a bit?? If that thought gives you anxiety or makes you angry... I strongly urge you to pray about this. The Lord continues to show me how to use social media and my website responsibly. Personally, I don't have the Facebook Messenger app on my phone. It's way to much of a distraction and it's very unprofessional (and a personal boundary violation) for patients to be contacting their Doctor for questions outside of office hours. Facebook, for me, is primarily to hop on/off to do my mission (educate, inspire, equip people to be healthy & share the Gospel). I don't answer health questions or manage health care through PM. I'm also not a huge fan of selfies. How have we become so desensitized to the selfishness of this generation? Do more pictures of "ME" really point people to Jesus? ...Honestly? DO THE THINGS WE POST REALLY POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS?? *my tone is kind, not harsh ;) *Does posting constant yoga poses, half-dressed workout pics, pictures in bathing suits, sexy shots or selfies really point people to Jesus & make people more Godly? Could we be stumbling someone's husband or wife or child? Could there be any underlying pride or selfish ambition? What message are we sending out to all the various people that "follow" us? Are we willing to let the Lord sift our hearts/motives? HEBREWS 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. I need more time in God's Word to know HIM, to know right from wrong, to know what kind of example JESUS was, to know the real motives in my heart, and to expose my pride, before I go and mislead MORE people "in the name of Jesus". The bottom line: There's only so much time, so I can't be on social media all the time without sacrificing time with Jesus. CAN ANYTHING IN OUR PHOTOS STUMBLE SOMEONE ELSE?? *As a recovered alcoholic, when I see Believers/leaders of any capacity posting pics of drinking, I am stumbled. I don't know how much they drink, how often, or if they "use their freedom to destroy their own (and others') freedom". I can attest that it steals MY FREEDOM for a moment. I wonder where else that person compromises. I wonder if they are really reading the whole context of God's Word. FOR ME, it's not a lead I can trust. We are all sinners, yes. I'm the biggest one. But I've fallen enough times to know that I don't want to go back to those places of bondage. I've fallen so hard that I KNOW that who/what I surround myself with matters & influences me over time. There are other people I can be inspired by that point me to Jesus better, who understand that having a platform to teach The Word or influence others is a HUGE RESPONSIBILITY & carries a stricter judgement. Influencing God's people is something the Lord takes VERY SERIOUSLY and so do I. I know that if I surround myself with Believers who compromise, justify, and who aren't teachable, I could easily follow suit... and it would have a ripple effect on my marriage, patients, friends & family. JAMES 3:1 says "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. I personally can't risk my own freedom (or the freedom of all those I've been entrusted with) to go backwards to a place that left a wake of destruction... so I "unfollow" and pray for that person. Furthermore, I want to make God proud. I don't want to answer for misleading more people. I've done enough of that in my day! It is simply not worth it to me. Finally, are we looking to stay a comfortable Christian or become a true follower of Jesus? Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. John 15:13 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. What does it mean to take up your cross or lay down your life for your friends? This is REAL LOVE. And Jesus was the best example. Choosing NOT to post that picture of me in a bathing suit or that "good butt shot" is 1 of many ways I CHOOSE TO LOVE my friends. It's not my website, it's His. It's not my Facebook account, it's His. It's not MY BODY, it's His. If I could follow JESUS CHRIST on Facebook, I wonder what His page would look like?? I want mine to look similar ;) I'd love to help you carry your cross. Clean slate. New mercies. You ready? Oh Lord, forgive us... As a Doctor, helping other people intimately through their spiritual and health journey has taught me A LOT. It is a responsibility and honor I take very seriously, and it has taught me great discipline in seeking the Lord for everything. There is so much information available to ALL of us that I’ve found most people are totally overwhelmed and confused. If I allow people to influence me more than God and His Word I will simply be one more MIS-leader putting out information that keeps people in bondage. Seeking the Lord first has changed my personal health, practice and ministry. I have learned how absolutely critical it is to take the time to seek God for how I should take care of MYSELF, for every decision I make, for any appointment I make for myself, before I look something up online, before I take any class or training, before I purchase anything, and before I commit to any “good opportunity” or partner with ANYONE on ANYTHING for ANY reason. I have learned that no matter how much sense something makes or how good something seems, it's not always GOD’S BEST...FOR ME. HE sees the beginning from the end. We can’t. Sometimes He will call us to change something, try something new, take something, do something, quit something, risk something...or do nothing. Sometimes it's simply an opportunity to practice "saying no" or "saying yes" without questioning God.
ALL of it will take faith. Our faith needs to be exercised to be strong. Sometimes all we need to do is spend time at the feet of Jesus, which takes a lot of faith when we are hurting and the fire is raging. We want to DO SOMETHING. We want to FEEL BETTER, but God’s Word reminds us in Isaiah 30:15 “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength”. Often times, LESS IS MORE. It is a radical act of faith and obedience to quiet our hearts and ask the Lord for what we need. In fact, when we train our faith, it MAY BE the only step we have to take, saving us years (if not a lifetime) of suffering, time, frustration and money. God’s Word is true and He cannot break His promises. Let me remind you of a few stories where FAITH ALONE HEALED GOD’S PEOPLE! Mark 5:34 (Jesus said) "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over." Matthew 9:22 "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment. Luke 8:48. "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Luke 18:42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Luke 17:19 And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you." Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Luke 7:50 And Jesus told the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Mark 3:10 For He (Jesus) had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. I now, more than ever, firmly believe that much of the information we have access to (as a patient or Doctor) is a huge distraction, the counterfeit, a cause for fear, a trap into the idolatry of more knowledge, and a trap to self-diagnose, keeping people in the viscous cycle of sickness and hopelessness, thinking they've read, tried and know everything. Sure, the internet can be used for good, but much of it is the work of the enemy. It’s subtle and it’s dangerous. Don't take the bait. Go to the LORD FIRST before you do more research. 2 Cor 10:5 reminds us: "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." You can’t un-read or un-see something. Seeds are planted, many of which are sown in fear, pride, foolishness, worldly knowledge or selfish ambition. Satan LOVES that we are so connected yet so distracted, so deceived, so easily offended, so self-sufficient, and so obsessed with gaining “more knowledge,” that we don’t even think to invite the Lord into these areas of our life. People are so sick, so tired, so confused and so much of it is unnecessary. Only GODLY WISDOM leads to life abundant! Jesus is the Great(est) Physician. We need to unplug and PRACTICE going to Him for everything. He knows what we really need. He knows whether the need is truly urgent or not. He has the resources you will need for however He leads. It may not make sense at first. You may feel like you don’t hear from God right now, but you never will if you don’t try. You have to take the 1st step. You have to spend time with Jesus to know His voice. He is faithful to speak and to deliver. I have YEARS of personal experience (and mistakes and wasted time and money) researching things to death and making health decisions in the flesh. It kept me sick and left me EXHAUSTED, even hopeless. But God used it to show me what NOT to do, worked it all together for good, for His glory and for the good of the Church, giving me a voice to help YOU quit wasting more time and resources. He’s given me a simple system in my own practice to help others get well...and THE FIRST THING WE DO IS PRAY TOGETHER! He has been so faithful to give me wisdom, revelation, prophecy or direction that I would NEVER have through more studying or training or letters behind my name. I’ve worked with hundreds of people who have wasted YEARS of their life trying to self-diagnose, researching things to death, and just “following the system”, making decisions in the flesh, running to various Doctors in the fear of infirmity and discomfort, desperate for immediate relief and answers, only to stay sick, tired, and hopeless, thinking that “nothing works”. Let HIM direct your steps instead of your money, your insurance, “expert opinions”, or advice from friends. Get off the internet UNLESS Jesus specifically directs you somewhere. If HE leads you, He will clear the schedule, provide the money, give you the strength, cause you to persevere, whatever you need. GOD DOES NOT LEAVE US HANGING. He. defeated. death. friends! That same resurrection power lives in you! He wants to do far more than heal your physical infirmities. I am a personal testimony as well as a witness to many hundreds of people who God has used in their infirmities to build radical faith, strength, perseverance, character, peace, wisdom, joy and freedom. He cares even more about our hearts and our Spirit. Proverbs 3: 5-6 TRUST in the LORD with ALL your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Keep it simple sillies ;)  This blog is a (growing) list of resources to educate yourself before you vaccinate. To be clear, I am not telling you whether you should or shouldn't vaccinate. You have to make that decision for yourself and your family. I am, however, strongly imploring you to get as much information from non-governmental, non-pharmaceutical, un-biased sources as possible. I do not have a hidden agenda. I don't get kickback from anyone for posting this. It is important that you know I love Jesus more than I "advocate" for ANYTHING or ANYONE. Furthermore, I personally pray about every decision I make. I hope you will too. That being said, if the Lord were to to tell me to get a certain vaccination, I would. I fear the Lord more than I fear being vaccinated. I believe the information I am sharing is wisdom. In fact, the distress and attacks that accompany speaking out on this topic can be scary and overwhelming. My intention is not to pick a fight with anyone. Regardless of what you choose, we can still like/love each other even if we don't agree on this topic. Amen? Ok, let's proceed ;)
As a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic (a Primary Care Physician), I believe in supporting the body with real food (spiritual and physical) and natural medicine that STRENGTHENS the body AND does not cause further damage to the body. I believe that living a well-balanced lifestyle, rooted and grounded in Christ, is the best medicine. I believe that the ingredients in vaccinations do more to weaken the immune system and our bodies than to strengthen it. I also agree that not all people will have adverse reactions to vaccinations. There are, however, certain groups of people who are at higher risk of having an adverse reaction to vaccines and medications, and THOSE are the ones I am speaking to. At minimum, anyone with a personal or family history of genetic or auto-immune disease, anyone who is currently sick or has a weakened immune system, anyone who has reacted negatively to pharmaceutical drugs/vaccines or other toxins in the past, AND those with the MTHF-R Genetic Mutation should consider avoiding vaccines. I want to share this statistic with you: Approximately 50% of Americans AND 95% of those with Autistism/Spectrum Disorder have the MTHF-R gene mutation. Few Medical Doctors will know or support this information. Having this genetic mutation means that person is deficient in the MTHF-R Enzyme, which means they have methylation issues, which in short, means their body is extra sensitive to ALL toxins because they cannot properly assimilate folic acid or folate. If you can't absorb folic acid or folate, you cannot produce glutathione, and therefore, you cannot get rid of toxins. So now you are not only severely toxic from eating processed and GMO foods, getting vaccines, medications and other environmental exposures, etc... but you are also toxic from all the Folic acid build-up in your body! Interesting huh?! I believe this is one of the major common denominators in those who react adversely to vaccines, while others who do not have this mutation may not experience a bad reaction to a vaccine... or the symptoms are less severe. Those with this genetic mutation typically HAVE to supplement with methyl-folate (METHYL COMBO is available right here through my online store) and avoid Folic Acid in their food and supplementally. They need to stop eating grains and processed foods immediately because the U.S. Food Industry fortifies most of our food, especially grain products with... FOLIC ACID!! Read my blog on MTHFR Genetic Mutation to learn more. Let's move on. Something else I'm lead to share with you that I've witnessed personally & through clinical experience: I have met countless numbers of people whose lives have been altered, harmed or ruined in some way by a vaccine (autism/spectrum disorders, neurological symptoms/disease, paralysis, tics, chronic fatigue, chronic migraines, fever, infant/toddler death, leaky gut/food allergies, eczema/skin disorders, auto-immune diseases, learning & behavior disabilities, social anxiety/issues, etc). I have NOT PERSONALLY MET 1 single person who has died from, been seriously injured from, or fallen severely ill due to NOT getting vaccinated. And in my world of natural health practitioners, most families do not vaccinate or they do a very modified vaccine schedule. I have yet to see someone regret this. Not one. And if you change your mind regarding vaccines, no one will ever deny you access to MORE vaccines or drugs. I KNOW many un-vaccinated children & adults who are incredibly vibrant, healthy & tend to progress faster and have stronger immune systems than my pediatric/adult patients & friends who are fully vaccinated. What I witness 1st hand holds more value to me than what I hear and read from biased sources in the media and on the internet. Furthermore, I test sick patients each week and find all sorts of toxins hiding in their bodies. There is a black and white correlation with vaccinations and heavy metal toxicity, especially in those who have adverse reactions. And to take it 1 step further, the PROOF is in the healing that takes place when we detox from those heavy metals, chemicals, parasites, yeast, viruses, bacteria, etc through herbs and nutrition and other safe detoxification methods. If you could witness, first hand, what I see every day, you would be shocked and appalled at the seriousness and danger of the current vaccine schedule AND the attempted enforcement of mandatory vaccines. You would be disgusted at how medicated America is! It is only fair to have the freedom to CHOOSE whether or not to vaccinate. We are all different and will respond differently to different things. Some may believe they thrive with vaccines... so carry on if that's your choice. I am not here to shame you or argue with you. However, MANY will be harmed as the population of people plagued with auto-immune problems and this genetic mutations rises...and IT WILL CONTINUE TO RISE. More vaccines and medications WILL NOT improve the health of this country. Mandatory or increased vaccines are a risk we cannot ignore. Please pray about this. Personally, I do not get vaccines. I work with (very) sick people all week long and I rarely get sick. I was fully vaccinated as a child (far fewer vaccines were recommended in the 1980's than the current vaccination schedule). That was also before I made my own health decisions. I was very sick as a child, teen and young adult. I am MUCH healthier now (late 30's) than I've ever been. I credit my Healing to God's amazing grace. HE opened my eyes. HE gave me wisdom. HE taught me obedience. HE showed me the things that were making/keeping me sick. HE showed me how much stress was killing me. HE inspired me to quit working in the Pharmaceutical industry at age 24 and go to Chiropractic school, stop vaccinating, start eating healthy and eliminating processed foods, removing most sugar/grains from my diet, to get regular exercise and stop trashing my body with extreme fitness, drugs and alcohol. The Lord has lead me through a lot of detoxing/cleansing over the years. I've had so much damage from personal choices (sin) AND toxic exposure to my body. I had yeast, parasites, chemicals and heavy metals overloading my system. I had Candida overgrowth and dozens of viral and bacterial infections throughout my life. But God.... He has redeemed me through His grace, His Word and revelation from the Holy Spirit. He has given me discernment and that is my prayer for you. Exercise discernment and pray. I had no amalgam fillings, but my body was overloaded with heavy metals. Why? From where? Can I prove it was from vaccines? No. That's how Big Pharma can cover this up so well. But I do know NOW that I have 1 copy of the MTHF-R Gene Mutation and therefore never should have been vaccinated or drank alcohol or been exposed to as many drugs/medications and toxins as I was... no wonder I was SO SICK! My body can't process toxins properly and people like me need to be even more disciplined in their diet and lifestyle in order to be healthy. I now live as chemical-free as possible without being psycho about it ;) I have tested MANY patients following childhood vaccinations or who have gotten vaccines to leave the country, flu shots or gardasil, etc ...and GUESS WHAT CONSISTENTLY SHOWS UP?? Heavy metals, specifically aluminum and mercury, depending on the vaccine, virus and/or chemicals, some worse than others. Our bodies are in all different conditions, we have different blood types, different DNA, etc, etc, so we all respond to different toxins differently. However, ALL of our bodies start to fail after we hit a threshold of toxicity. That threshold is very LOW if we have the MTHF-R mutation and other "pre-existing conditions" or warning signs. With the number of people being born with this genetic mutation on the rise and the number of recommended vaccinations also quickly rising, we have got to wake up! The benefits DO NOT outweigh the risks. The good news is, when we detox from these things, our bodies can start to heal. I mostly work with "hard cases". I've seen "un-curable" diseases healed. I've seen severe cases turn into mild cases. I've witnessed so much hope & improvement that others say is impossible. And it's not outrageously expensive or rocket science! For that, I am most grateful. What I have experienced first hand with people/patients is evidence enough (for me) and means more to me than any "Pharmaceutical Research," or other biased claims put out by other Doctors and sources who make a lot of money... millions, even billions, for some, off of vaccines. MOST vaccine research available to us is put out by the very patent-holders and manufacturers of these vaccines. IT. IS. BIASED. Have you seen this? "They" claim the Vitamin K shot is a "just a vitamin"... this is what we are giving newborn babies at a few minutes old. This "Vitamin" contains: – Phenol (carbolic acid – poisonous substance derived from coal tar) – Benzyl alcohol (preservative) – Propylene glycol (better known as “edible” antifreeze) – Acetic acid (astringent, antimicrobial agent) – Hydrochloric acid – Lecithin – Castor oil Decide for yourself. There is no such thing as a black box warning on "a Vitamin". Furthermore, it is a synthetic vitamin K – generic name phytonadione, completely toxic to the body at 100x the RDA for infants for Vitamin K!! Several studies have linked large doses of vitamin K with childhood cancers and leukemia. This photo was shared by an RN in Michigan. It shows the warning for nurses. I took an oath as a Doctor to “First, do no harm”. All Doctors do. I stand on that oath. I practice what I preach and have seen the devastating effects of vaccine injury and over-medicating. I myself have overcome heavy metal poisoning (and much more) and have never had amalgam (silver/mercury) fillings. I fully believe they came from my childhood vaccines. I am convinced that vaccines (and most pharmaceutical drugs) do more harm than good and are not worth the risk. I also realize there is a time and place for Western Medicine (medications and surgery, etc) and I am grateful for Medical Doctors, as well. I AM NOT trying to force you to choose East or West, Medical or Natural. WE SIMPLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND what real health care looks like, start taking responsibility for our health and practicing authentic preventative care. We are not dumb sheep, friends! Vaccination IS NOT immunization. Drugs are sick care. Our infant mortality rates, autism rates, childhood obesity rates, and rates of/deaths due to adverse reactions to drugs/vaccines is completely out of control. IT'S. NOT. WORKING. Something must change. Please educate yourself before making a decision that could change you/your child's life forever. If you have any chronic illness, please read my blog on MTHF-R Gene Mutation. Disclaimer: You are free to choose whether or not to vaccinate without shame from me . Please pray instead of getting defensive. Lay everything you "know" on the alter and let Jesus sift it. Put on the WHOLE armor of God, cinch up your “belt of Truth”, ask the Lord for wisdom and knowledge, ask Him to bind up ANY fear-based information that has been spoken to you, and go to the THRONE OF GRACE with a clean & teachable heart. God will show you what is best for YOU and your family. Pray about getting the DNA test for MTHF-R gene mutation BEFORE vaccinating to know if you or your child are at HIGH RISK for an adverse reaction. Follow Jesus before you follow any Doctor, advice or internet search ;) Here are some resources to get you started: #1 - THE BIBLE ;) Dr. Tenpenny, DO: http://drtenpenny.com/ Dr. Ted Koren, DC: http://www.korenpublications.com/…/…/vaccination-information Dr. Sears, MD: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/vaccines Vaccine Court has paid out >$3 Billion for vaccine injuries (to the FEW who have won against Big Pharma): http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/vaccine-program-readmore http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/vaccine-programoffice-special-masters DOCUMENTARIES: http://vaxxedthemovie.com/ go.TheTruthAboutVaccines.com http://www.boughtmovie.com https://streamingmoviesright.com/us/movie/doctored WEBSITES: www.vaccinesrevealed.com http://nvic.org http://childhoodshots.com http://vaclib.org http://thinktwice.com http://www.healthnutnews.com/ www.TheFreeThoughtProject.com https://www.learntherisk.org/ BOOKS: A Shot in the Dark, Coulter & Fisher Childhood Vaccination: Questions All Parents Should Ask, Ted Koren, DC Evidence of Harm, David Kirby Immunization: The Reality Behind the Myth, James Immunization Theory vs Reality: Expose on Vaccinations, Miller Make an Informed Vaccine Decision for the Health of Your Child: A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Shots The Sanctity of Human Blood, O'Shea The Vaccine Book, Dr. Sears, MD Vaccination is not Immunization, O'Shea Vaccination: The Medical Assault on the Immune System, Viera Scheibner, PhD Vaccine Epidemic: How Corporate Greed, Biased Science, & Coercive Government Threaten Our Human Rights, Our Health, and Our Children, Habakus and Holland Vaccine Free: 111 Stories of Unvaccinated Children Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Children's Vaccinations, Stephanie Cave, MD *We will keep adding to this list as we find other valuable resources :) God bless you & lead you. BRYCE'S AUTISM HEALING TESTIMONY >>> HOPE!!! I'm SO EXCITED to share this story with you guys!! I got to interview Careen, my dear friend, sister-in-Christ & Office Manager, about her son, Bryce & what God has miraculously healed since May of 2016. I have the privilege of being his Doctor & God has blown our minds!! There is HOPE for Autism and all "diseases". God has showed me how truly simple it can be. God can do the impossible! I have to add: This is Bryce's story. This is not a "protocol to heal autism". What we did for him was HIS CUSTOM PLAN. I prayed for him and muscle tested him. His protocol will not necessarily work for someone else with autism. Each patient's plan will look quite different. Each Autism case will be different. All of our bodies have different layers of toxins, genes, blood type, and many other factors affecting it, and we will all differ in the natural remedies that will work for each of us. If you or someone you know needs help/hope, please pray before you make any health decisions. The Lord will show you who can help/where to go :) Share & Comment if you are inspired in some way! We love to hear what God is up to. Download the FREE PodBean App & SUBSCRIBE to my channel if you want notifications & access to all Christ-centered workouts, Health Teachings, Testimonies & other podcasts I post.  When our bodies are HEALTHY, we use daily exposure to sun to MANUFACTURE Vitamin D. However, MOST PEOPLE are not healthy & have Candida overgrowth & other gut/liver problems. I test every patient I work with locally for heavy metals & chemical toxicity, Candida overgrowth, parasites, viruses & bacterial infections, amongst MANY other things. Almost EVERYONE has 1 of more of these things hiding in their body. In order detox the body of these things, you need a custom diet, lifestyle & supplement plan to get well. You can get all the sun you want, but if your liver & gut are not well, you will likely remain deficient in Vitamin D because your body isn't well enough to utilize the sun to make it. More proof: I test patients from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA all week long! There is no shortage of sun here, yet the number of patients with Vitamin D deficiencies is the same as anywhere else. ALMOST EVERYONE I TEST IS LOW IN VITAMIN D. For now you'll need to supplement it until you get your gut healthy.
If you are a patient, I can quickly muscle test you in your New Patient Exam OR in any follow-up appointment to: A) tell if you are deficient (in D, B's, omega 3's, etc) B) tell you how much Vitamin D (or any vitamin/mineral/herb) to take and also when to decrease your dose and by how much. C) Customize & fine tune your plan to continue healing your whole body so that you do not have to supplement such high doses of different supplements forever. If you are not a patient, you can ask to have your Vit. D levels checked next time you get bloodwork. 25-80ng/mL is said to be "normal" or optimal, though you want to be on the high side of this range in my opinion. It's important to note that Vitamins A, D, E & K ARE fat soluble so they can build up in the system. The problem is Medical Doctors have scared people to death about overdosing on these vitamins if they take too much. Probelem is, after about a decade of testing patients, I can say for certain that most people are so severely deficient that if they don't START with therapeutic doses, they'll rarely see any change in their health. The only way to truly know how much YOU should be taking of ANYTHING is to find a Holistic Doctor who KNOWS you, who you see at least a few times a year, who practices HEALTH CARE & not "sick care", WHO HAS A SYSTEMATIC AND ACCURATE WAY of testing your body and customizing a plan JUST FOR YOU. It's the only way anyone can honestly tell you how much YOU should be taking. As you get healthier, your Vitamin D dosage will change over time, and your other supplements & herbs will change as your body and health begin to change. This is one of the most common Vitamin deficiencies and it is critical for healthy bones and teeth, healthy thyroid (hormones, metabolism & energy), immune, gut, and brain function, to name a few. I used to have to take 30,000IU of Vitamin D3 until my gut and liver (and thyroid and adrenals and...) started to heal. That happened only after quitting drinking alcohol, removing grains, sugar & starches from my diet for many months, overcoming Candida overgrowth and leaky gut, regular Chiropractic care & Acupuncture, and repenting for a LOT of bitterness and anger in my heart which was keeping my liver & gut from fully healing (that's just a glimpse of my journey...haha). My dosage of Vitamin D3 SLOWLY went down over time. Now I don't supplement any Vitamin D :) I get checked a couple times a year and my levels are staying in normal range. I practice HEALTH CARE. I go to who the Lord leads me to help me, not who an insurance company dictates I go to ;) I check in regularly with Jesus to make sure I'm not harboring sin or disobedience and repent regularly for my wretchedness. God is my primary care physician. He refers as necessary. He kindly corrects me when necessary (and I allow Him to. Good parents discipline their children). He leads me beside still waters. He sets the pace of my life. He has everything I need. He has healed me beyond my wildest dreams. I am not perfect. My body does not feel "perfect" every day (ps: no one's body does. You're still aging & doing life in a fallen world), but He carries me in my weakness and has given me beauty for ashes despite the horrible ways I used to abuse my body with food, alcohol, drugs, promiscuity, and disobedience of every kind. If this is a good as it gets, I'll take it. It's more than I deserve. And I'll praise Him with all my heart, soul, mind, strength...with every gain, every loss, every sickness & every healing victory, every promotion, every fall. He is God and He is good!!! CANDIDA FAQ'S
HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE CANDIDA OVERGROWTH? For starters, you can do this FREE home Candida Spit Test: http://docjana.weebly.com/wellness-blog/candida-spit-test. It is quite accurate. In fact, you can re-do this test monthly as you go through a Candida Detox to watch it decrease in your body, and also to help assess if it's actually gone or not. Most people think it's under control long before it truly is (usually because they want to add sugar/carbs back into their diet way too soon). Next, do you have a white-ish coating on your tongue? If so, that's likely yeast! We're getting warmer ;) To be absolutely certain of what's going on with your health (which is often MORE than just Candida overgrowth), you can schedule an appt with me, and I will evaluate you thoroughly for Candida overgrowth, parasites, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, chemicals, food allergies and a whole lot more. You'll leave with a thorough plan customized JUST for you :) Regardless of what you decide, know this: Candida overgrowth is very serious and difficult to manage without professional help. I'll leave it at that ;) Other Symptoms of Candida overgrowth (Candidiasis) could include:
NOW BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER... I NEED YOU TO PROMISE ME THAT YOU WILL PRAY & CAST DOWN ALL FEAR IN THE NAME OF JESUS! If all signs are pointing to "Yes" for Candida overgrowth, then great, we are getting answers. This means HOPE. Don't freak out. Yes, there's a journey ahead, but God's got everything you're gonna need! None of this catches Him off guard ;) OK, promise??? OK, go! WHAT CAUSES CANDIDA OVERGROWTH? Candida albicans is a yeast (fungus) that is present in all of us. It is a natural and normal part of the body’s gut flora. However, certain factors such as (over)use of antibiotics & steroids, birth control pills, the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet- highly refined, genetically-modified and sugar-loaded), stress, weakened immune function, lack of sleep, and environmental pollutants/toxins all contribute to the OVERGROWTH of Candida and other inflammation (diseases and dis-eases) in our body. Candida Overgrowth can also be called CANDIDIASIS. Candida overgrowth is sort of like having wet glue all over our “insides.” It thrives in warm, moist environments: mouth, gut, anus, ears, vagina, etc. It reproduces very quickly (same thing that happens with a vaginal yeast infection or thrush), and it lives on sugar. Therefore, we have to be very strategic in killing it off. It is one of the most over-looked “stressors” found in the body, and one of the major culprits in MOST serious conditions. I can easily say that about 80% of patients I work with test positive for this. It is epidemic. Here's a webinar I taught called "Balancing Your Microbiome" if you want to listen & take notes. WHAT DOES A CANDIDA DETOX DIET LOOK LIKE? First, I need to make something clear because there is a lot of confusion surrounding this topic. Almost no one will fully overcome Candida overgrowth if they ONLY change their diet or if they ONLY do supplements. BOTH the dietary changes and the "supplements" (different for everyone) are critical to succeed. Once someone has Candida overgrowth, it is a living organism that wreaks havoc on any of the body's systems: the gut, immune system, endocrine system (hormones), hepatic system (liver), genitourinary system (kidneys/bladder), circulatory system (blood/heart), integumentary system (skin), etc. The dietary specifics will be customized for each patient I work with based on their New Patient Exam findings. SO, all that to say..."In general", this is what I recommend after many years of revisions and working 1 on 1 with patients and personally going through this myself: NO: grains (bread/pasta/corn/rice), potatoes, beets, mushrooms, peanuts/pistachios, cheese (or dairy for many), fruit, coffee, alcohol, sugar, coconut H2O EAT: eggs/meat/fish/poultry, LOTS of veggies, RAW kombucha (<2g sugar), RAW sauerkraut, RAW kimchi, RAW apple cider vinegar, nuts/seeds, legumes/beans, non-grain flours (almond, coconut), garlic/herbs, lemon/lime EAT UNSWEETENED: plain yogurt or RAW kefir (if no dairy allergy), coconut, nut & seed butter/milk SWEETENERS: xylitol/erythritol/maltitol, Swerve & stevia will NOT feed yeast BEWARE: aspartame, acesulfame (K)potassium, splenda, sucralose ("sugar-free" chemical sweeteners are toxic) *You will see conflicting info between different Doctors & Nutritionists. I'm not trying to say I have the only plan that works. I'm simply telling you what I've found works with the way I practice & the wisdom God's given ME. Again, these are general recommendations. No one can write a protocol on a website that will work for everyone. Just sayin ;) SO...Pray. Ask the Lord who/what you should follow or listen to. Beware of what you read/find randomly on the internet. Trust. Proceed. You are not given a Spirit of fear or confusion in Jesus name! ;) If you are someone who doesn't like to ask for help and has been driving yourself crazy trying to get better... I graciously ask that you would seek the Lord about this. Ask if there is pride, fear or idolatry of knowledge or otherwise that needs to be dealt with. You can drive yourself insane and spend even more money trying to do this alone. HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? IS IT THE SAME FOR EVERYONE? A CANDIDA DETOX looks different for everyone. In a "Candida Detox" there is the DIET part and the SUPPLEMENTS part. The time frame for a "Candida Detox" varies depending upon how well the bowels are moving, how sick the patient is, how severe the overgrowth is, the condition of the gut, liver, kidneys, immune system, etc, and the other layers of sickness going on. Most people are unaware of how deep this problem can go. Without knowing and testing you, no one can tell you how long it will take. My best advise is to remember that you walk by faith and not by sight. This journey takes Faith. Have you prayed for faith? Healing? Patience? Perhaps God's answering your prayers?! ;) More people are becoming aware of Candida overgrowth, but we are being lead to believe there is 1 simple program every person does for a set amount of weeks and viola! It does not work like that. To answer the question of "how long" for this initial part of removing ALL sugar, grains & starch from the diet....we generally do this until your bowels are moving daily, your probiotic dose has reduced close to the recommended dosage on the bottle (because it often starts WAY higher than that! Some people need 20 capsules/day of even the really potent stuff!), AND your symptoms are reducing significantly. SO, that can be weeks for some and many months for others. At this point, we can be pretty sure we have the yeast under control and we can begin to (try to) add low glycemic foods back in first. We see how you feel for 2-4 weeks and then add more if we are continuously moving in the right direction. If any symptoms come back as a result of adding in more foods then we know it was too soon for those that caused inflammation/symptoms. Each patient with Candida overgrowth will have variations in their treatment plan, as well as other layers that need to be addressed (usually), so the plan is custom written for each person. The bowels HAVE to be moving daily, which means there is often extensive work to be done on the liver & gut simultaneously OR BEFORE triggering major yeast die-off. Most people have had Candida overgrowth for years, if not decades, so there are many other secondary layers (i.e. auto-immune problems) like an under-functioning thyroid, worn out adrenal glands, leaky gut, food allergies, liver congestion, hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), etc that we are working on. If they are not addressed a patient could become severely constipated and very sick, or be so run down during the process that it is hard to follow through/focus. Some people will have to be really strict in cutting out all sugars, while others can do a modified Candida Detox Diet. Those with leaky gut, food allergies and a compromised immune system can expect the overall process to take quite a bit longer. Last, yes, there is a small percentage of patients who God leads me to start on a modified Candida Diet, adding berries, sweet potatoes, quinoa and sometimes brown or sprouted rice from the get-go. The Lord is faithful to lead us from visit to visit, giving each patient the patience, perseverance & provision they need, and giving me the wisdom and discernment necessary to help you. He is a part of every visit! Example: If I have recommended a patient to do 3 boxes of my product called Candida Clear, then THAT PART of your program will last 6 weeks. However, the process of "Candida Detoxing" lasts far beyond the time you are on Candida Clear and the initial Treatment Plan I wrote for YOU. We may have to stay strict on the Candida (no-sugar) diet and other supplements for a while AFTER you finish the supplement part of the cleanse. Your custom Treatment Plan will specify what YOU need to do, and specific changes/additions will be determined through each re-evaluation as your body heals and gets stronger and healthier. You can expect to experience unpleasant symptoms in the very beginning as your body detoxes (possible: headaches, breakouts, body odor, fatigue, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, cloudy urine, brain fog, body aches, etc) but this is perfectly normal, and doesn’t last long (usually a few days up to 2 weeks). Some people have very few detox symptoms while others are pretty severe. Please do not compare yourself to your friends or someone you know who has been through a Candida Detox. We are all different. Our bodies and circumstances are not the same. WHEN CAN I GO BACK TO MY “NORMAL” DIET? For starters, our goal is not to return to an un-disciplined lifestyle, holding on to the idolatry of "food", eating lots of sugar and highly processed foods whenever we want. The goal is to "fast" from sugar for a time, in God's grace and according to His will (this takes faith), in order to receive healing and restoration, and to end in a place of greater health and freedom, eating & enjoying whole foods (those that feed YOUR body) and a life of discipline. We will slowly add in low-glycemic foods like quinoa, sweet potato, brown/sprouted rice, berries and grapefruit first, when YOUR BODY is ready. This can be 2 weeks for some and 6 months for others. On average it is 1-2months. HOW CAN I MAKE GOOD CHOICES AT RESTAURANTS?
CAN I HAVE KOMBUCHA? YEP! OTHER SOURCES ARE SAYING I SHOULDN'T EAT ANY FERMENTED FOODS ON A CANDIDA DETOX? I disagree. Alcohol-free, RAW fermented foods (RAW sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, etc) are natural sources of probiotics and enzymes and will immediately kick in the detox process. You cannot catch a buzz from the TRACE amounts of alcohol found in THESE foods. They can be great for the liver/gut and are traditional foods that have been removed from the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet). However, they do contain histamines, so for other reasons some people may not do well with these. For those who suspect these foods bother them, I recommend coming in as a patient so we can specifically test YOUR body and see what is best for YOU. No "food rule" will apply to everyone. As a general rule, these foods are a "yes". I DO AGREE that regular (alcohol-containing or pasteurized) fermented foods like beer, wine, aged cheese, etc will actually make you worse and feed the yeast. These are necessary to avoid in order for the body to heal. And no one would suffer in any way for laying down alcohol once & for all ;) WHAT ABOUT LEGUMES/BEANS, TOMATOES, CARROTS & PEAS, etc?? *ALL of these will simply depend on the person, their blood type, digestion, symptoms, severity of illness, etc. Some people will thrive with them. Others will notice a (significant) setback. I typically say all of these are ok on a Candida Detox UNLESS you eat them and feel bloated, foggy, constipated, diarrhea, fatigued, joint pain, get breakouts or YOUR symptoms return. If I am testing you as a patient, I can confirm whether or not you are sensitive to any of them. Dairy: If any history of asthma, sinus problems or eczema/skin problems, then NO DAIRY. WHAT IS “DIE OFF” AND WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT? Die-off is properly known as a Herxheimer Reaction. When these yeast (fungal) cells die and are passing out of your body, (some sources say) up to 79 different noxious toxins are released in the die-off (detox) process. You can expect to experience unpleasant symptoms in the very beginning as your body detoxes (possible: headaches, joint pain, breakouts/rash, body odor, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, cloudy urine, brain fog, body aches, chills, mood swings, sleeplessness, etc) but this is perfectly normal, and doesn’t last long (usually just a few days to 2 weeks). Some people have very few detox symptoms while others are more severe. Please do not compare yourself to your friends or someone you know who has been through a Candida Detox. We are all different. Our bodies are not the same. If the die-off symptoms are really severe or you are not having daily bowel movements, I highly recommend being less aggressive with what you are doing and making an appointment with me or another Holistic Doctor who knows how to help you. Your liver (and possibly kidneys, etc) need additional support. Professional help would be advised at this point. WHAT HAPPENS IF I EAT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ALLOWED... DO I HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN? Nope. God's mercies are new every day. Most people stumble at some point, some more than others. Sanctification is a process. Don't give up. Ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Forgive yourself. Bind up any shame, doubt, fear, or guilt the enemy is trying to throw at you, and pick right back up on your next meal. Press on! If your symptoms linger, exercise patience & ask the Lord what to do: schedule a re-evaluation or appointment with me, do a water fast, nothing, take some of the following supplements, eat more veggies, etc. Drinking some extra RAW apple cider vinegar or kombucha, eating some extra sauerkraut or kimchi, or taking some extra probiotics or enzymes may help (if you have them) if you are feeling bloated or constipated. If you have my Silver Shield or Pau D' Arco tea, a little extra of these may also help. WHY DO I NEED TO EAT SO MUCH COCONUT OIL? 2-4 Tbsp/day is recommended for adults. 1 Tbsp/day for older kids/teens (when possible). Do your best. If it's making you nauseous, then decrease to 2 Tbsp/day. It contains Caprylic acid and other amazing benefits which help kill the yeast, detox and heal the liver, feed the thyroid, feed your brain and help with energy, skin, bowel movements, memory, etc. As always, buckets of grace. Avoid if you have known gall bladder issues or if coconut oil makes you nauseous. HOW CAN I GET MORE COCONUT OIL IN MY DIET? Add 2 Tbsp to any smoothie or soup or try my Matcha Latte or Healthy Hot Cocoa recipes. Try my Pumpkin muffin recipe and smear on some coconut oil or any of my soups could have a spoonful of coconut oil melted into them. My recipe blog is a great resource to help you. WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR COFFEE AND TEA? Check out my recipe blog for "drinks" you can have. You can use the search box at the top right of any page on this website and search "drinks" or "tea" or whatever you are looking for :) We are always adding new ideas! Check out my Matcha Latte, Healthy Hot Cocoa or Detox Lemonade to start! CAN I DO THE CANDIDA DETOX DIET WHILE PREGNANT OR NURSING? Not intensely. However, you CAN change your diet and significantly reduce sugars/grains/processed foods in your diet, slowly add probiotics and/or take certain herbs to support the liver to gently detox/support the body on a daily basis. However, to more specifically advise, I would need to see you as a patient, test your body and talk in greater detail with you. Know this though: Keeping Candida overgrowth in the body is keeping both mommy and baby sick. So this IS something that needs to be carefully addressed at the proper time. HOW DO I STAY MOTIVATED ON THE CANDIDA CLEAR DIET? Stay close to Jesus. HE LOVES YOU. HE KNOWS…He knows every fear, every weakness, every financial struggle, every addiction, every stronghold and EVERY DESIRE OF YOUR HEART. He will make the crooked places straight. He is doing something so much more than you’ll ever imagine THROUGH this journey…if you’ll let Him. I watch Him use this to build character, perseverance, faith, patience, trust, self-control, discipline, and deep respect for His amazing creation of the human body. He wants to be a part of our journey. HE is our source of strength and self-control as we make these sometimes drastic changes in our lives. Please don’t try to do this in your own strength. Surrender and watch your life change in more ways than you can ever imagine! I am honored to see people fight for their health and follow JESUS into these hard places! Let us not give Satan the foothold of unnecessary infirmity and disobedience to hold us back any longer. Freedom awaits. Remember that you are fasting & sacrificing the "lusts of the flesh" in order to receive so much greater from your Father in Heaven. It will be worth it! "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." -1 Peter 2:11 KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE!! Philippians 3:12-15 (NKJV) Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. {13} Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, {14} I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. {15} Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. |
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