Feingold, again

 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.   1 Corinthians 10:31

Our family is going back to the all natural, "Feingold diet" to help one of my kiddos again. We- well, I - bagged up all the left over cereal, granola bars, and chocolate syrup and tossed it. I put all white flour and sugar on a top shelf that needs a ladder to reach it. I am determined to do this, and help my child without medication if it's at all possible.

We were already basically on this diet because of how I have been eating. What's changed is that I won't be buying anything AT ALL with corn syrup and artificial coloring's and preservatives anymore, once again.
So the kids were lamenting this (no more candy, no more ice cream, we are going to die of a boring diet) - especially the one who has caused this change - while we drove to the bank, where, of COURSE, they gave them a large bag of chocolate for Halloween, which we take no part in, anyway! The kids were delighted. This is your last hurrah, I told them. Eat it and be done.
We went to the Family Nutrition Store to buy supplements. While standing in one place in the isle, I saw no less than THREE friends. I hardly knew who to talk to, but I saw friend Rebecca first, so I talked to her. Then I went to friend Sarah, who was in the isle I wanted, the children's supplements. As we caught up, she suddenly said, "You have lost a LOT of weight!"
Oh, yeah! I had forgotten how I must have changed since the last time I saw her. 20% of my body weight gone IS a lot...
I am grateful that I have been able to maintain this new weight. I have been carefully adding back a few things. Tonight, I was COLD and tired, and since I had hardly had any carbs all day, I ate a small bowl of oatmeal with blueberries for dinner, and a cup of hot ginger lemon tea. I haven't had oatmeal in over six months, and it tasted wonderful!
I put on my warm PJ's early ( no visitors tonight, please), and I plan to crochet and read the night away, while other people are out celebrating Halloween. I am thankful to live at the end of a long country road, far away from all that activity.

Maybe I will have more ginger lemon tea! With Xylitol, instead of sugar!

• God is light, and there is no darkness in Him. 1 John 1:5

book review: Mommy Diagnostics by Shonda Parker

Many years ago, the second of my ten children, a daughter, kept getting strep throat over and over again. We would barely finish one round of antibiotics, when the strep would come back. Finally, after when she came to me saying her throat was hurting once again, I began to seek other ways of helping her get over this problem. I met a lady who sold Nature’s Sunshine Herbs, and my life changed.
She told me that most likely my daughter’s problems were caused by allergies. She sold me several bottles of capsules, and I had my daughter begin taking them. Sure enough, the herbs caught the problem before it became worse, and my daughter did not have another reoccurrence of strep.
I continued using herbs for many years to treat my children. For a while, I sold Nature’s Sunshine Herbs myself. But life got busy, we moved several times, had several more children, and I let my education on herbal products go by the wayside.

We recently added three more children to our family by adoption from the foster care system. Two of these children have asthma, and one of them and her full sibling baby brother are prone to ear infections. Being sick more than my other children seem to be, my mind once more turned to herbal remedies. I kept hearing about the book Mommy Diagnostics by Shonda Parker, and I finally took the plunge and bought the book. I am so glad I did!

Within days of purchasing the book, my youngest child came down with a raging fever, and kept sticking his fingers in his ears. Since he is only 21 months, he couldn’t tell me what was wrong, but it was pretty obvious he had an ear infection. I got the book out, and first chance I had, which was almost 48 hours later, since he became sick on a weekend, I made a trip to the local health food store. They have a wonderful line of children’s herbal remedies in gummies and tinctures. I had a list in hand that I had made from the recommendations in the book, and I bought what I needed.
Within 24 hours of giving him the products, he had turned the corner, his fever was gone and his ear seemed much better. Another 24 hours, and he seemed almost well.

This book is not a ‘no doctor at all’ type book. Mrs. Parker tells you what can be treated at home and how, and when to seek medical help. She includes forms to help you evaluate and form a plan for your family’s health. She gives instructions for growing and harvesting herbs, how to make simple herbal remedies at home, and what to purchase for your medicine cabinet.

There are many pages of different ailments and what you can use for each one. She covers babyhood, the teen years, middle years and old age, and gives advice on things to have on hand for the unique needs of each time of life.

There are resource lists to find different products, and also recommended books to purchase to further your education on herbal medicine.

Pictures of the Parker family are scattered throughout, and it’s fun to see her healthy children doing various things.

I recommend this book, and personally plan on buying more of her books, myself. The link to this book is on the left. Click it to check or buy this wonderful book!