Foods That Help me Feel Better

Aug22

What foods can I eat?
Maybe we better talk about what I can't eat first.

   Everyone wants to know — I get questions and emails all the time saying: What can you eat?  How did you do it?  How in the world did you lose over 110 pounds? 

So, today I thought it would be appropriate to talk about what foods I do not eat because this plays such an important part in living with Fibromyalgia.


The Three Biggest Problem Foods For Me!
Wheat – Soy – Milk

Below You'll Find Some Photos of Foods Which Contain Gluten
But… Unfortunately There are Many More!

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Okay…. okay, I'll admit it.  At first this new way of eating was HARD!  I thought I couldn't do it.  I wondered what I would be able to eat.  Nothing?  Well, that's what I thought as it's what you are probably thinking too!  

   But… OH MY GOSH!  This has changed my life! 


Truthfully, God changed my life through my new "healthy" life style and through the marvelous doctors my husband and I found who knew immediately what was killing me (yes, you did hear me right), and who knew what immediate and major changes I needed to make in the foods I ate .

You see, I was born with Celiac and that is what caused my fibromyalgia.  Celiac is a severe allergy to many – well… most of the foods I was eating when I got sick. As I kept eating them, the sicker I got.

Celiac affects the large intestines.  There are little extensions on the inside wall of your intestines which are called "villi."  These villi stick our and move around to grab hold of and absorb fat, vitamins, nutrients, and minerals from the foods you consume.  With celiac, these villi are flat against the wall of the intestines, so they cannot absorb any of the nutrients you need to survive – to be healthy – and to flourish.  I was hardly surviving at all, and I certainly was not healthy in any way, shape, form, or fashion.

Thank You Lord!  I am as healthy as I can be while still fighting fibro and celiac – as I will for the rest of my life.  I began starting to to flourish at the "young" age of 60…feeling better than I had felt since I was 29 years old!  And, it is all because of what I eat (and some natural supplements). 

These are the foods that I COULD NOT eat when I started this new lifestyle!

NO Gluten (wheat, barley, oats, Aramanth and glue on envelopes – don't lick it!)
NO Lactose (milk, cheese, yogurt)
NO Soy (soy is in everything… even coating some of the medicines you take)
NO Dairy
NO Canned Foods
NO Processed Foods
NO MSG
NO Sugar
NO Eggs
NO Tomatoes – or only very little

I have now been eating this way for almost 8 years.  I have been able to add back some dairy, like cheese on salads, and sometimes in a casserole, or even in gluten free pizzas.  I have now added back an egg for breakfast every morning.  Before the diet, I had a stomach ache every morning of my life.  I didn't know it was from eggs until I left them off…

I do eat bread every day, but it is bread that I make in my $10.00 yard sale bread machine.  Pamela's bread mix which is made from rice flour.  I buy this from Amazon and make it a couple of days a week — because my husband is now wheat free also.  (His arthritis got better when he left off wheat.)  I eat pasta, macaroni, spaghetti, etc. made from rice flour also.  If you were to come to dinner at my house, you would not know that you were eating gluten-free!  We can eat pizza which I make using Kinnikinnick gluten free or Udi's gluten free pizza crust.

 I I now know that I will probably NEVER eat soy again!  Turns out it made me VERY sick.  This really didn't show up until I had been off gluten for a month or so.  That's okay…. I truly can live without gluten and soy for the rest of my life — more than happy to, as a matter of fact!  With some of these other foods, I sneak a little every now and then, and although I don't feel great afterwards, but I am not deathly ill.
 

Below You'll Find Some Photos of Foods That are Really GOOD for you!

GOOD FOODS FOR YOU

 The above food are great to eat!  Fruits, greens, nuts, legumes and many more options can literally change your life!

HEALTHY FRUIT

If you have fibro or celiac… or even think you have this, try eating as healthy, natural, and organically as possible.  This was not a disease, or even a problem 100 years ago.  Do you know why?  They didn't have all of these chemicals, preservatives, and insecticides in their foods then.  A good rule of thumb is; if you couldn't find that food 100 years ago… then don't eat it now!  Simple, huh?

 The weight loss?  Well, obviously I was overweight from being sick for so long.  I didn't change my way of eating to loose weight.  I changed my way of eating to be happy and healthy and to be able to enjoy my life and my family again.  The weight loss was a plus…. an amazing plus!  When I first began this new way of eating, I went down to an 8 petit!  Never been that small in my life – even as a child.  lol  But, now I have gained some of that weight back.  There are starting to be too many gluten free cookes, cakes, and muffins on the market now which taste REALLY good.  So it is a constant battle for me to leave those off!

Until next time…. think healthy, happy, and be very grateful that you have a chance to change your health and your body just as I did! 


Blessings & Smiles… Nancy  

  

   

My Strength is Made Perfect in Weakness

Aug20

A Verse I've Come to Embrace

My strength is made perfect in weakness. –2 Corinthians 12:9

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Through the years of my struggles to overcome fibromyalgia and celiac disease, weakness would overtake me at many different times. I's grip would hit with such force at times that I could hardly hold my head up. Don't confuse this to the pain – the depression – and the anxiety.  No… it was different.

Most would call this chronic fatigue. Yes, I have been diagnosed with that too, at times when the overwhelm of it all would grasp my very being.

After being sick for close to 4 decades, it was only in the last 8 years that I finally began to see and believe that "my own strength is definitely made perfect in His weakeness."

Almost all of us suffer some sort of health issue, or physical limitation. It could have been something you were born with just as I was, or maybe hit with later in life.

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, it was a thorn in his flesh which kept him humble. He wanted it removed just as any of us do. His answer from God was: My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

God uses us to accomplish His will for our lives
Through our imperfections – our weaknesses…

This forces us to reach toward Him in our weakest hours. That is the only way we will grow close enough to God to fulfill His will for our lives.

I have now found my strength in Him more times that I can count. I have found His will for my life only through my weakest times.

 

 

My Book; My Story

Aug12

Writing My Own Story is Hard!

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I didn't think it would be this hard.  After all, I have written and published several books; seven as a matter of fact.  

But when I began writing this book things were different. Of course writing is all consuming. I have spent many hours sitting at the computer, laying out chapters and then choosing words which speak from my heart to yours.  

I've lived many experiences that we (Steve and I) believed can make a difference in the lives of others. To hold them back would be like not giving you the opportunity to find a way to overcome, no matter what you're going through right now. I want you to know, you DO have a chance of hope and a brighter future.  It would be wrong to not share this with you. God has spoken to us in so many different ways that this is His will for our lives and my story.

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During these last five years, I found myself having to walk away for months on end before I could come back to the story of me.  I have said, "no more – this is too hard – I can't talk about this – I don't want others to know."  Those were the times when Steve and I could both hear God's voice stronger than ever. This book needed to be published. 

So many hours have been spent weighing the impact of my words – choosing ones which can and will influence the way you deal with unforseen circumstances in your life.  After all, I am sharing with you 'forever memories' that are in my mind and my heart always. 

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I looked back the other day to see exactly when we began this journey. I don't know why I was surprised, I shouldn't have been!  It was 2011 when Steve and I together finally made the decision that this was what God was calling us to do. Little did I know that writing about me — my life — my marriage would take over 5 years.

You see, that's what "My Journey Through Fibromyalgia"  Rumors, Ravages & the Rescue is. It is up close and personal.  I found myself having to make decisions about what to tell and what to hold back.  Which parts of my life should be kept personal and which parts, if shared, could make a difference in your lives.  That's the reason this journey was begun… to help others … to give them hope for overcoming seemingly tragic circumstances, and to know that our God is one of "overcoming".

 

I’ve Missed You!

Aug5

I've Been Busy!
I can hardly believe it's been so long since I posted!

Way too much has been going on all at one time, and most of you know when that happens, Fibro flares up.  Well, that's just what mine did.

Let me tell you what I've been doing. 

First, we finished all the last-minute details on my latest wreath-making book: 
"Make Your Own Wreaths"

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This book was released just about 6 weeks ago now.  I can hardly believe it, but over two thousand copies have been sold already.  Not only that, but Hobby Lobby has ordered 900+, and Michael's has ordered a sizeable number. 

I haven't seen them in the stores yet, have you?  If you see it, I would absolutely LOVE for you to take a photo of yourself holding this book right in the store and send it to me.  We are going to have a contest where we pick a winner from this group – you may be the one to win a great prize!!

 

So, After My Book Came Out
I Hosted a Tea Party at our Home!

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Everyone had a wonderful time!  We really went all out with tables filled with 'Southern' food!  Over 30 people attended as we all learned so much from our two special presenters.

First there was Sims Pottery.  Stacey Sims and their designer Laura Miller put on an amazing demonstration about a new and different style of deco mesh wreath design.

Then, Lauren Schuman and her husband Tom were here to tell us how they have grossed over three quarters of a million dollars on Amazon in less than two years.

 

Next, I had to Jump on Finishing My Story:
"My Journey Through Fibromyalgia"
Rumors, Ravages & The Rescue

It is finally finished!  I am thrilled!  I am tired!  I am excited! And… I am a little scared of putting the book about 'me' out there for sale. I'll be receiving the edited copy back from my editor today.  Hopefully it will be out for sale sometime around the first of September.

I hope you are doing well!  I have missed blogging about life, health and loosing weight!  I guess you can tell that the weight part was sort of put on the side for a while. 🙂  Now, I have to get back at it.

Thanks for joining me on my personal blog.  Watch for more information about my latest book.  I may share the new cover design with you soon, and see what you think!

Nancy

 

 

Searching for Hope, and Finding Joy…

Mar5

Finding Hope When You're Physically Down

How Do You Keep Going When You're Physically Down?

Today, as I was going through several subjects that customers have requested I discuss in my newsletter, I found one thing which keept coming up over and over again.  Actually, it has been asked on a regular basis for many years now.
 
I has always been my goal to respond to your questions with a personal note – an email, or a call when necessary.  But, alas, I finally realized it was impossible to personally answer each and every one.  This is one of the major reasons that Best of Nancy and Grow With Nancy were formed; I wanted to be able to talk to you and answer your questions so others could benefit from each question and answer – they were all so similar.

These are some of the questions I have received, all basically asking the same thing:

  • "What do you do when you're physically down?"
  • "How in the world do you make wreaths, maintain several websites, send out newsletters, and manage a membership site while fighting health issues?"
  • "How can 'I' function when I am feeling so badly?"
  • "How have you kept going as you fight Fibromyalgia and Celiac Disease?"
  • Wow, I'm overwhelmed!  Please tell me where do I start?

 First of all, I encourage you to look around you today. Do you appreciate the beauty you see in a smile, in nature, and in those who are dear to you?  Or, in a newborn baby?

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Although I am in a lot of pain today, I am getting to enjoy our new grandson, Brendan Cole Alexander. You see… he is only one day old and SO very precious.

I wish you could see him. He weighed close to 9 pounds, and I knew yesterday when I was reaching for and holding that sweet little miracle that I would hurt. Did that stop me? Absolutely not!

Did I know that I would really pay for it last night and today and… for who knows how many more days to come? Of course I did! But, that doesn't matter. It didn't stop me. I enjoyed every second with him in my arms, and will do it again and again!

So, today I am sitting at my computer writing this with a very large ice pack on my back, a smile on my face, and a heart filled with joy.

I could have sat and felt sorry for myself while looking at that precious bundle of joy knowing how it would hurt me to hold him. But, I still would have been in some pain today or I may have unintentionally done something else which would have caused my fibromyalgia to flare up. My decisions now to situations like this are "do what you want"; "do what makes you smile"; and enjoy every single second!
 
"I am only passing through this moment…" ~Beth Moore
 
 Chronic illnesses are a severe problem for many of you, not just me.
 
Pain was (notice I saw 'was') the main focus of my life for so many years.  It colored the way I thought and felt, and reacted to the world around me.

It is hard to see the beauty in a flower, a sunset or sunrise, or a brand new baby when you are giving in and suffering in silence.  It is hard to think of doing something that would make your day productive when it is clouded with something which has such a deep, dark hold on you.
 
 My answer was… and is… "God".
 
I don't know where I would be today without all of the miracles God has worked in my life. 

I do know that I would not be sitting here at my computer writing to you, my friends, students, and faithful followers – were it not for God and all the Miracles "He" has performed in my life. 

I know without a doubt that He arranged for me to be sent to each "Professional" who finally diagnosed and treated the causes of my illness.
 
I am speechless when I think of the people who were sent into my life to encourage, uplift, inspire, diagnose and help me heal.
 
Jim Cockrum and I have talked about this many times – we call them "Divine Appointments"!  You may not believe in those, and if so, that certainly is your choice.
 
I don't want to impose my faith on you knowing that every person has their own beliefs, but in telling a story of me – "Beautifully, Broken Me" (as my friend Molly Alexander writes in her blog), I cannot forget the obvious and must share with you how I got to this point in my life.  That's what many of you have been asking me all these years. 

I do believe God has led me on a path for many years for a specific purpose – that is to be able to help and encourage YOU!

"By picking up the pieces of a broken life and putting them back together, a person cannot help but be changed.  This change is a beautiful thing that results in a deeper understanding of others and their situations, and gives us a chance to share our experiences with them, showing them that there is a way out – a light at the end of the tunnel."
 
"I believe that I have not just been broken, but put back together by God in a beautiful way – a way that I could have never imagined on my own."  ~Molly Alexander~

Isn't it amazing that I can now see, live, and enjoy the beauty around me?  And, oh, how I want to give you a sense of hope, joy and peace in "Your Beautifully Broken Life" too!

Blessings… Nancy