Zest for Life

New News

2011-05-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Often times my goals are much loftier than what I actually accomplish....... oh well, I guess I'd rather be an over achiever than an under- one!

So much happens, so fast! I found out that I am pregnant with #3 in April..... so with that my hubby and I took our first vacation in the beginning of May this year... a week in Maui! We figured we had better because it will be a while before we have the chance to do this again, and our kids are just the age to handle a week at grannies! We had an amazing time! Stayed at an awesome (low budget)B&B right on the ocean for 3 nights in Paia, then 2 nights in a super cool yurt with outdoor shower etc... in beautiful Hana, and then 2 nights at another great B&B in Kihei, 3 different areas of the island. The weather was perfect! The tropical fruit was soooo DeViNe~~~the beaches~~~ the water~~the swimming! I really miss perfect papaya for breakfast. Much needed, but we were so happy to see our kids when we got home! I did have a tiny bit of morning sickness while we were there but it really hit when we got home... so glad it mostly waited. Also I had taken the state boards for my massage license and the waited and waited and waited for it... it had arrived while we were on our trip! I'm excited that it finally showed up, but now that I'm pregnant with all this morning sickness I won't be able to do the part time massage like I had hoped...... yet!

Getting ready, trying to navigate this new world of homeschooling... I feel like a whale on a mountain right now.... not the first time though!

So I'm a pregnant, mother, wife, domestic engineer,massage therapist, healthy living enthusiast, bi annual blogger! I would like to change that last part though!!

Letting Go

2011-01-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

I just asked a friend today what her goals are for the new year.... she had really thought it through and had several wonderful things in which she is going to work toward in 2011. She then asked me what mine were, sometimes I am more of a contemplative type person who really needs to think about how to lay this broad question out! I have thought of many things I have hopes for in this new year but not collectively ..... I have been thinking about this for the afternoon and evening and I have to say this year for me is hopefully going to be themed... Letting Go

Letting Go, Simplifying, Learning not to hold on to things I don't need or want in my life, so that I have more room for those things that I truly do!

Letting go of the over accumulation of "things" I have piled up in various places (attention basement!!!) in my home that do not get used and both consciously and unconsciously zap my energy.

Letting go of thoughts and fears that I have no control over and are affecting my well being... THIS is tough for me, I am a thinker and concocter of great tales and sometimes have difficulty in reining in my imagination.

Letting go of expectations that don't mean something real to me and the person God created me to be.

This last year has been a crazy one to say the least! I made it through massage school, which was so good for me in so many ways, but also very stressful with the work load, having 2 young children and babysitting full time for 7 months of it! Then to top it all off my husband and I had been having a hard time the last couple years and as a last ditch effort to wake the dead, I filed for separation during the last month of school! Whew!! As I'm writing this I can hardly remember how I made it through! I am thankful to The Lord for loving me enough to shower his love and compassion on me despite myself!!

Things are going much better now! I had thought my marriage was over, but through prayer and a WHOLE LOT of forgiveness and love it is steadily growing better day by day. I have learned so many, many things in this last year, on a very deep level!

1) We should really never judge ANYONE, because we may very well find ourselves in that same situation one day and understand them more than ever! And sometimes the people we judge most harshly will oddly turn out to be the most compassionate.

2) Forgive people especially when it's really hard! It really does hurt you more than them to stay angry, but don't be fake about it and remember the things for which you have been forgiven!

Just a couple of the many things I learned this last year! :)

As far as health is concerned I have been very good and I have been very bad this last year!! I went through a months where I was a juicing, mostly raw eating machine who was glowing and healthy, to the girl at her lowest place of eating unhealthful, alcohol and coffee drinking, smoking in the midst of a turbulent inner storm.............to again juicing and eating very healthfully, exercising, deep breathing and most importantly praying and growing closer to God again day by day! Making better choices Living, Loving, and Learning to LET GO!:)

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2010-10-28T23:27:00.001-07:00

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Kids see, Kids do ~~~~~

2010-01-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

We are all attached to our childhood..... some of us have many obstacles to overcome because of this! The great news is we CAN OVERCOME and learn new ways to BE and DO!! right? I love an exercise that a teacher of mine said would be great for anyone willing to do, to get to the core of who we are what makes us US, and WHY we believe what we do. Sit down and journal about your beliefs, all the beliefs that you hold within that you can think of and then go over them one by one and try and remember where you got the belief from? does this belief have relevance in your life now? and if not what are you going to replace that belief with ... because as he stated, us being the incredible creatures we are, can't just erase something from our memory we hold onto it all, and have to have a replacement for our changes... habits.... thoughts... ideas. I thought this was a really awesome, how many things we hold onto that are given to us by our parents or parents parents.... are they really always right??! I think not. Am I always right... Of course! ha ha, no really, I think not!

In terms of what I was taught as a child about nutrition and health..... was not much at all. Things that instantly come to mind as beliefs about food are the clean your plate mentality, or the IF you clean your plate, you get dessert... I have chosen to break out of that mold so far instead of these things I have adopted some healthy ideas that I use and think work pretty well for my me and family... when I'm home that is... my husband is still holding to some of these old patterns but I have planted a seed there! I eat mostly raw.... I do cook some food as my husband is not really into the raw food thing but is willing to try and enjoy some of the things I make and the kids are still tied to this as well a bit and I do eat something cooked on occasion when I'm out with friends, I'm hoping to change this though. I aspire to be a pure raw foodist and to incorporate the rules of food combining and my goal is that my whole family would be!So far what I have incorporated in their lives in the living foods realm are:

having fruit for breakfast
having a healthy dose of raw veggies for lunch along with part of a sandwich
when I make my raw food dishes.... having some on their plates to try and they have to take a few bites of everything new
lots of salads that they need to eat the portion of that I put on their plates before they can get down
lots of praise for eating the very healthy foods especially salads and anything with greens
green smoothies for snacks or breakfast
green apple juice with broccoli, parsley, cilantro etc....
making some raw desserts on occasion
They are seeing me eating and enjoying healthy, living foods
I try and take my kids outside, and more recently on grey yucky looking days! I have always had the mind to stay in on days like this but I have found that it makes the bleak day very beautiful to get out there and find the natural wonders that are waiting! Like the other day it was grey and the fog was thick as whipped cream dancing through the valley, so I got the kids warm stuff together and packed some lunches and we headed to the river where we found many large flocks of birds/ducks coming and going, we ran over gravel lumps, splashed multiple sizes of rocks in the river, "shoe skated" on the ice patches in the grass... it was really a great day, and soooo much better than if we had stayed inside! I am Relearning to live!~ and many times met with opposition but I know this is right and awesome! Retrain the brain, Retrain the brain, Retrain the brain ....

Some recipes for really great and near astounding treats for kids:

~The frozen banana "ice cream"~

Take several frozen bananas and whip them in the food processor for 5 min, till very creamy. It is sooo simple and sooo amazing! It really is like having banana ice cream!! Sometimes I mix some frozen fruit with it and the kids loved it! The one below has frozen blueberries whipped in~

~Banana pops :)~

Another really great one is to halve bananas, poke a thick skewer that has been "de-sharpened" in the large end, roll in raw chocolate that has been melted and then roll in chopped nuts, seeds or whatever you like.

Soooo many IDEAS!!

2010-01-14T14:40:00.000-08:00

YEAH! So many ideas in my brain, it's hard to sometimes get them out? Any one else feel this way? I just need to get some momentum going! I'm thinking...... what do I love to read about in these types of blogs? I love the personal journey, not way too wordy, (have some work to do there!!) raw honest truth about what someone is doing and how they feel, what works for them and there families, I love the beautiful and creative pictures, and words... to be INSPIRED to feel CONNECTED.... I hope to impart something of this in my blog, as there is NO one in my life I can think of who WOULDN'T be amazingly transformed by living this..... food we eat or don't eat can actually transform and return us to that which we are truly meant to be! It is sooo life altering, I have a full array of changes either already made or definitely in the works!

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society"-Krishnamurti

I had to think about this a bit! It is so true! While I don't believe in shoving our own agendas down someones throat, I do believe in standing for what we believe, helping all we can and LIVING the example we want to share which is the best witness!!

This was a really delicious lunch!! Some organic romaine, Jennifer Cornbleet's Pat`e with some avocado and chopped red pepper!

Loving the Renegade Health Show!

www.renegadehealthshow.com

Also has an AWESOME book out that I have read some of so far called High Raw at www.gohighraw.com

In LOve with Life! Hoping you all have an inspiring day! :) Jayme

Addiction in Reverse

2009-12-30T23:37:00.000-08:00

Addiction: to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively.

I can now say without absolutely cringing that I have in the past easily become addicted to various things that obviously did "something" for me, affected my brain chemistry in some seemingly pleasurable way. This however also links with neglecting what I was really in need of. I was addicted to cigarettes and in a small way still am as in I know "to take heed lest you shall stumble". I have quit twice once after smoking several years and the other a matter of months after going through some emotionally trying times I had relapsed and then quit again! Sometimes I catch myself saying "What is wrong with me? why did I do this? How could I be so dumb! I could have much better health if only.... and on and on" But then a good friend reminded me recently that I HAVE QUIT 2 TIMES!! which is more than many people can say ... unfortunately. And that it is very hard to quit and I should be so excited for what I have accomplished!! I certainly can't take the credit though as I prayed and prayed to quit both times, God answered my prayers both times by giving me the circumstances I needed to quit! so thank you God, for you know what we really need! and can help us with anything in just the right way!!

I don't have programmed television in my home because I know that I would become addicted to watching certain things and it would be a thief of my time! I do occasionally watch some shows and movies from time to time but I don't have them regularly streaming in. Not that I have anything against people who have it! I just know that it would be a problem for me. There have even been times I would get a season set of something from the library and I couldn't just watch one every couple of days.... I would be watching it any spare moment I could because I was tied into what was happening in the show.... so I think "why? do I have these things I am so drawn to that I know are thieves of my time and energy? magazines though I read good ones, I can get too caught up....foods particularly sweets like I am missing something vital if I don't get them! , thoughts such as draining or negative ones....etc....." Well! I have come to the conclusion that we can all afford to give ourselves some compassion! and love! and respect! I am recently thinking what would I say to a friend who was telling me all these things? Would I say "What is wrong with you? why can't you get a hold of yourself and make these changes?....... hardly! I would offer encouragement, support and love, and thats just what I need to start giving myself in order to make healthy choices in my life. I think it's pretty universal from hearing people out~ we could all use more love, so why not start with the closest person to us? ourselves. I had heard one time that we can't love others if we don't love ourselves, and that is true on so many levels. I'm not talking about being self absorbed here but take care of ourselves so we can take care of others!

I had titled this Addiction in Reverse because as I work on mine, especially that of things that I take into my body, it is bringing up feelings that I haven't had in years! It even brings up cravings for things that I have been addicted to in the past!? It's really incredible to think that eating more raw foods can do such a thing but it's almost like I'm going backwards in time and reliving some of what I had gone through, only now I can take the time to process it all if I choose. I'm trying to the best I can, and it can be really hard at times. I read that you should have a support system when going through major changes in life, someone/'s who can be supportive of your goals and be there to help motivate you what the times get tough and you need some extra encouragement! I am working on trying to find that in my life, I do spend time in prayer with this and it really helps me stick with it! I know it's worth it, thats for sure!~ Sometimes it's like being in a dark grey turbulent storm while you can clearly see the on the other side is the most beautiful paradise you could ever imagine and all the while your getting closer and closer sometimes maybe getting turned around but things get worked out and you get back on track!! :)

Recipe for the day.. and as I'm sure you'll get to know that I love quick and easy!! I actually love to make fancy and sometimes elaborate dishes but... I do cook some food for my family as well as juice regularly and make raw meals and smoothies so.... I try to stick to what time will allow so I'm not rehydrating and dehydrating into the wee hours of the morn! ha ha

I really like this great and simple recipe I came across, for jicama fries:

cut jicama into fry like strips, shoe string or thick and burly...
drizzle with a little olive oil
sprinkle on some sea salt
dash on some chili powder

massage all over the sticks and ENJOY!! they are a bit interesting at first, but after a couple, especially if you've gotten a good jicama that is sweet and juicy with NO mold, it is really delicious!

A new beginning for a new year!

2009-12-29T22:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I am finally going to GET back on track with my blog FINALLY!! ha ha :) I was having a really hard time getting motivated when I first started this before as I had dial up internet and it just took forever to get anything accomplished! But now I have Fiber and an operating several levels above where I had been!!

On that note, what has been going on with me since! a LOT! I am currently going to massage school, which I absolutely love so much!! I am learning many things above and beyond massage there as well, and am driven to look much more deeply at myself as a person, how I got here, how I can change and learn and grow~ and learn and change and grow etc.. It is helping me greatly with my mission in life, which I feel we should all be trying to do as much as we can with what we've got! with vigor and strength! with love and passion!

Last winter I really got caught up in my some emotional stuff and had let myself become a bit trapped in that, I started eating not too well, and just not doing what I knew I should! Slowly but surely I have been nudged back into my path for living right, sometimes not so gently! and it hurts!! your entire being saying " your not doing what you know you should...YOUR NOT DOING IT!" so then it kind of becomes do or die, and I let it get to the brink and finally decided to listen..... now I have slowly transitioned from a vegan whole foods diet into mostly raw eating, This past week I have come to such a place that I have been eating 90-100% raw and I am definitely having some detox symptoms!! at first I was feeling quite nauseous, spacey, lethargic, panicky as of today, I am noticing that after doing several massages where I would be really sore.. I am just kinda sore, and feeling fairly peaceful, calm and light.

I continue to study more and more and more about health and true living. I have learned about zeolites, calcium and why not to take it, healthy herbs, and health regimens sooo many things that I have began to implement but I will write more about that later!

Today, I had a green smoothie for breakfast with:

half banana
3kiwis
half cup blueberries
large handful of romaine leaves
handful of spinach leaves
water to desired consistency

blended well, it was really really great!

Lunch I had some raw goat cheese with raw salsa and cabbage

Drank a detox tea

Dinner I had a salad with many veggies and greens, jicama with some olive oil, sea salt, braggs apple cider vinegar and chili powder, it was really great!

Lots of water in between ;)

Have a wonderful night and God Bless You!
Jayme

About Me Part 3~

2009-03-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

I didn't just wake up one day and LOVE learning about health and wellness. I wasn't born with it, and I didn't really think anything of it... until I was propelled into it. I have had health issues over the years, they finally came to a head while my mom and I had the restaurant. I had been married a couple years and was working and thinking about going to massage school.

Over the years I have had a slew of health complaints, to the point of feeling like a hypochondriac. I was anemic off and on. I had this kind of floaty spacey feeling in varying degrees for several years. I got sick fairly often. I didn't eat great, I smoked, I drank.... I didn't set myself up for great health, that's for sure!

Because of my health complaints, I wanted to learn more about health and dip my toe in the ocean of natural healing to get well. In the beginning I read some things here and there about health and decided it was best to stop eating meat. When I got married, I mostly taught myself to cook. I cooked fairly healthy things but still ate some meat from time to time. My husband and I then decided to not eat meat at all . Not long after, I then went through a Coronary Health Improvement Program and learned what I will now call the tip of the ice berg on health. In the class I learned about what meat and dairy products do to the body. Some of the inner workings of the body and how most disease can be reversed with diet and exercise. This was exciting for me and I began following through with it and was feeling some better though not completely. I've gone to a seminar on depression where I learned many wonderful things about how everything we take into our bodies and everything we are lacking in them, affects our brain and mood. What we listen to... how we breath... how we think. And another cooking class I went to taught great vegan recipes and some about health principles in general. There were books for sale there on Natural health and healing which I have enjoyed learning from and using for reference when myself, family, or friends are ill. And last but not least I went to a Swedish massage class where I was thinking about attending school and learned basic Swedish massage and other various health tidbits too. It was very fun!

At a point things began to get worse for me though.. I started to have chest pains, weird stabbing pains and tightness in my head, trouble breathing and sleeping, things at this point I can hardly remember... The worst things I started having though were the panic attacks. I literally felt at these times I was going to die... I would have several a day, it was really the worst thing I have ever gone through. I went to my family doctor who ran some tests, I had chest x-ray, EKG, a CAT scan of my head... he basically chalked it up to anxiety and put me on a heavy mood stabilizer called Depakote, and gave me some pills to slow my heart down when I had panic attacks. I didn't feel better ... I kind of coasted, stopped taking the stuff and eventually found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I had a pretty good pregnancy. I quit smoking and tried to take good care of myself. I still had some things going on, but was feeling a bit better.

When my daughter was 6 months my health problems escalated again and I was not going to go the same route again. I knew I had been hard on my body, but I knew there was more to the story though because now I was trying very hard to take care of myself and I was still having these roller coaster symptoms. I started really praying to find a solution, so I could be healthy for my family. I was feeling so bad I thought I wasn't going to be around for my daughter... It took a hard toll on my marriage as well. When people promise in sickness and health they don't always mean it. I'm surprised we made it through.

So here I am praying and praying. I finally got an answer. I then had a dish that got a few channels and watched a show on Mercury poisoning which had a dentist named Hal Huggins author of 'It's All In Your Head' on it, explaining things he had learned, practiced and studied. I was in aw at first, I had all the symptoms and a lot of mercury fillings to boot. So I had remembered someone in my health class talking about a pastor who knew something about this. I called him up and visited with him quite a while, learning that his sister in law had this mercury poisoning and a doctor who lived 3 hours away from me and specialized in toxic poisoning and allergies had helped her get well. AND - he was coming to my area in a few days to give a talk about allergies. It had all fallen in to place in an amazing way! I went to see him, ended up talking with him for a couple hours... for no charge!! Learned that most of my symptoms could be explained by this~ My prayers had been answered~

I was excited to finally learn what I just knew was the answer and the steps I would need to take to begin getting well. On the other had I was kind of frustrated to know that I couldn't just do a couple things or eat different or take something and make it go away. It was a healing journey I was to embark upon. One that has taken years and is still continuing now.

So where did this journey begin? 3 hours away at my new doc. Dr. Mundall of Connell, WA. One who specialized in this kind of thing, who is an M.D. a christian, who believes in the real principals of health and wellness. The kind of doctor who stands in that very small group willing to buck the normal and personal gain for truth and helping others. He has done a lot of his own research and comparisons with his patients to better help them get well. So, I began with having my hair tested for heavy metals and nutrient levels in my body. I had urine tests for heavy metals. Which came back off the chart... and from this my body was severely depleted of vitamins and minerals it desperately needed. It may seem I am, but I'm not going into extreme detail on exactly what was found and what my doctor knew about the different levels. Please feel free to contact me at jls_bss_ts@hotmail.com if you have any questions, comments, info, whatever for further details. Anyway, I had candida as that can overgrow because of the mercury, I had some food allergies- some of the things I ate a lot, but not as bad as I thought. I had heavy mercury poisoning and my minerals and vitamins were severely depleted. I also am very hypo thyroid, since the middle of my pregnancy with my son. I am hoping through nutrition I can get my thyroid to function properly.

I did research on places to have my fillings replaced that didn't cost and arm and a leg! As soon as I could, I began having them replaced. You can't just go in and have them all done at once, oh how I wish... I had to travel 2 hours to the place I chose, then have them removed 1/4 at a time (as if going to the dentist under NORMAL circumstances weren't bad enough!!) So basically 4 trips over 2 years. I became pregnant with my son in the middle and you can't have them removed while your pregnant. Some say not while your nursing either but I did toward the end on one occasion as my doctor permitted.

My doctor put me on *good (yes there are many junk supplements out there) vitamin and mineral supplements right away and I felt the difference with that very quickly! I cut a lot of even naturally sweet foods from my diet. Got rid of my occasional caffeine. After I had my son about a year ago... I then could begin the chelation therapy which helps pull the mercury out of the system. You see, mercury is constantly released from fillings, when you chew, breath, eat warm foods, drink warm/hot drinks. It goes into your system from eating certain fish high in mercury levels, from the environment etc... We are not meant to have this kind of junk in our systems and it is NOT OK! When the Mercury enters our system, it doesn't just make it's merry way out.. oh no, it lingers... in our tissues, nervous system, brain. And causes a lot of damage. Some link it strongly to Multiple Sclerosis and other diseases as such. So a chelation agent is used to pull it from the tissues and get it out. I took some, however, I started having problems with low immune system while on it, so I am right now trying to get myself up to par so I can begin again. It can take 1-3 years to get the majority out of the system... it's bad stuff.

Where am I now? Learning, growing, feeling groovy...:) I love to learn! I went from growing up carnivore, to vegetarian, to mostly vegan, to mostly a mostly raw foods, vegan, juice freak who aspires to be a great many things in this life we've been gifted. I am still trying to be healthier everyday. I am reading many things about RAW food living, being conscious of the beautiful world around me. The healthier I become, the more aware I become with every sense God has given me. I feel clean, fresh, vibrant, energy, love and peace. I cook healthful foods and am trying to go more raw all the time.. if it was just me, I would be all raw. It is hard with a husband who doesn't really care for this lifestyle that is such a part of my soul. He puts up with it basically.My children are pretty good with trying things for the most part. I'm getting ready to go on a juice fast and plan to blog about it on here. I feel better now than ever in a way. I've come a long way from an environment that was hard to grow up in, from unhealthy habits and thought patterns. The mind and body are one. I've learned that we need to take very special care of our health because that IS where everything good lies. Everything we experience, touching, feeling, looking, learning, growing, tasting, breathing and just living, is greatly enhanced with good health! Do everything you can to take good care of yours! Learn and don't just follow the crowd!

LASTLY..... I plan to blog about things I have learned and have yet to learn. With food, both cooked and raw or raw and cooked. About juicing which I plan to do much more of. Gardening, gonna be growing a bigger, better one every year!- at least I hope so!! About parenting, living, loving, growing, and being. I love to be inspired, and I hope to be that to someone too!

In Love With Life,
Jayme

About Me ~ Part Two

2009-02-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

I started working when I was 12 in a restaurant washing dishes. Moved on to hostessing, busing tables, and eventually becoming a waitress. I came from a home where work was important, my parents worked very hard. My dad drove truck several places from in the oil fields to hauling fruit to driving cement truck. I never remember him missing a day of work, even for being sick! My mom worked a lot, waitressed in various restaurants, she usually held 2 jobs and worked 80+ hour weeks at times. So we were definitely ushered into the work world early on. When I was 18 I became a CNA and worked at a nursing home for a while, I loved the elderly people, however I really hated the institutional environment of where I worked. They definitely only have budget and function in mind, for most of those places. I could think of a few changes I would like to make, that's for sure!!

Shortly after that, my mom and I made plans to open a restaurant. It had been a dream of hers for quite some time and sounded like fun to me. It did prove to be fun, challenging and .... hard work! We got to do a lot of the remodel ourselves, we painted, tore up carpet, laid tile, designed.... Kind of felt like a "jack of all trades". My mom named it "Take A Break Cafe". We worked all day 6 days a week for quite a while but that got tiring to say the least. We changed that and were open from breakfast and lunch the rest of the time. I learned so many things working there, one of them was how to bake, I made a lot of pies and some other desserts. It was fun to be able to be so creative with things. Such a fun and wonderful experience!! Toward the end of our restaurant adventure, I worked at Old Navy for a while and that was really fun, met some wonderful people!

I met my husband Brian when I was 18 waitressing in a restaurant, kind of floating, not really knowing what I wanted out of life yet. He found out that I babysat his niece and nephew, and that I knew his family, however not yet him. He had grown up right down the road from my Aunt and Uncle. He was really good friends with my cousins. My Aunt and his mom were best friends and I had known his mom since I was young. I knew his brother and a little of his sister, but never knew about him. This may have been a good thing though because we are 10 years apart and he would have remembered me in my awkward adolescent phase. :) So he called up my cousin Jon and asked about me. Jon told him that he thought he should ask me out and thought I was 22 or so... well, I had just turned 18, he was 27.... Anyway, so Jon's wife called me and told me I should go out with him because he was really nice etc.. I had been asked out by another
Brian at work who I didn't really see in that way, I thought she was talking about him... So I reluctantly said "ok".... come to find out it wasn't the Brian I was thinking of.......

Our first date was to a John Mellancamp concert at the Gorge in George with his John Candy look-a-like friend Scotty. We had a nice time. I was a little nervous, he got to bring his rather large best friend -who told me to be good to him or he would snap me in half -(no just kidding!) But it WAS 2 against 1. We saw each other thereafter, almost didn't get past the age difference when he found out how old I really was....but we did. We fell in love and 2 and a half years later, got married and bought a nice house in Cashmere.

Now, going on 8 years of marriage, we have 2 wonderful children. Mykla our daughter is 3 and a half and Finnlan our son, is 1 and a half. We are very, very blessed. After I had my daughter I worked part time at an assisted living place here in town which I really loved! I then got pregnant again and now get to be a stay at home mom, which I love! I babysit other children for a little income.

I definitely have big dreams though. Dreams of becoming a massage therapist who also does nutritional consulting, who maybe eventually becomes a Naturopathic Physician, who also is a skilled artisan on the side, making handmade creations for others to enjoy. None of these dreams however comes before my children, who I love so much, and couldn't imagine being away from them. In NO way does this mean I look down on people who choose to or have to work while they are also parents. We each have to make the decisions for our home that make it the healthy, happy place it needs to be! I'm trying to be all that I can for my family first and just keep an open mind to what my be .............in the future!!

Peace and Light,
Jayme

About Me ~ Part One

2009-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

I am not 100% raw, though I realize from all the research I have done that its the best thing one could do for their health. I have to admit it's a bit daunting to think about, but as with everything I have learned it all seems that way at first... trying to re-educate myself after years of abuse to my body... some self inflicted others just part of the world we live in. I just keep pushing on trying to learn and implement new truths about our intricately woven anatomy and how our everyday lives affect it.

I was raised in a home where macaroni and hot dogs were staples. We maintained the SAD (standard American diet). Eating meat with most meals... though early on I didn't care much for meat, I used to feed it to my dog under the table and he didn't complain! The Schwans man knew our names as we ordered a lot of food from him. Corn dogs, ice cream, deep fried this and that supplemented with some ice berg lettuce and some veggies. I used to drink about a gallon of milk a day!Now, believe me, I know my parents did what they could.. both working a lot, they did what they knew how, what they had been raised.

I thank God that we lived in the country, we may not have been eating well, but you'd be hard pressed to find kids who exercised more. We got fresh air, went hiking, bike riding, swimming, built forts, you name it. It helped that my aunt Kellie who watched us after school hardly let us come in her house... by us I mean my sister Heather who is 4 years younger and my cousin Joe, 3 years younger. Now that I have a family I understand why... it sure is hard to clean up after kids! I was very fit, always running, hiking and having fun in a beautiful forested area with hills and an abundance of fresh air.

Growing up both my parents smoked. I really never wanted to until we went to visit family who lived in Colorado. I had a cousin who was older by 4 years that I was hanging around with who smoked and I told her I did too, to fit in. From then on at the age of 11, I was a smoker. Starting with stealing cigarettes from my parents and smoking around 5 a day, to to around a pack a day when I was in my teens, back down to half a pack, until I found out I was pregnant when I was 24. For most of that time I wanted so desperately to quit, I thought about it all the time, prayed about it (sometimes half hearted because part of me enjoyed smoking) but it was hard, very, very hard to quit! Finally I got to the point where I was praying "God, whatever you have to do, if I have to die.. please let me quit smoking!" ... I have been smoke free for several years now.... almost like I never have, though I know it has affected my health. Now when I go places and see people smoking, in there cars sometimes with their children in them, on the street, in their homes, I thank God that I no longer have the desire to smoke and I pray I never will.

Green, Green, Grass of Euphoria

2009-02-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

It seems I am always trying to find ways to incorporate more raw greens in delicious ways for my kids. I myself am not a big fan of salads, but oddly do not mind drinking and or juicing them :)I know that they make me feel calm, centered and absolutely blissful! Just look at the color... I think it speaks for itself!

My daughter is 3 and she eats salad pretty good (with dressing of course!) My 1 year old son doesn't really like the texture of it in his mouth, (and he doesn't have all his teeth) so I especially have to get creative with him.

One thing I made that he loves! is:

blend 1 banana
Some raw pineapple to taste
A pretty good handful of spinach

My daughter will eat it most of the time but I changed it a bit so she likes it even more by adding frozen blueberries while blending it, enough to make ice cream! She loves it, but then it was too cold for my 1 year old. Go Figure. You don't even taste the spinach!

As for me.... I'm trying to work up to a fresh, raw, mostly greens and veggies juice fast. So far they're replacing 2 meals a day. With the holidays and a packed month of birthdays in February, I was not wanting to feel left out!

In the morning lately I have been juicing an off the wall mix that I like....kind of reminds me of lemon limeade and if you like things a bit sweeter add the half orange!
This Recipe is for a JUICER... or A blender with a little water strained through layers of cheese cloth, a nut mylk bag, sprout bag etc..

1 whole organic cucumber or peeled non organic one
about a cup of raw broccoli
1 granny smith apple
1 lime
half lemon
half orange if you want it sweeter, I like it kind of tart without
any greens you want, I've been using handful of spinach, few leaves of romaine, quarter bunch of parsley- - - or whatever I have on hand
a bit of cabbage if I feel like it

love of garlic

If the above is too funky for ya... an awesome smoothie is:
This recipe is a SMOOTHIE....

Greens of choice a couple handfuls
an orange
cucumber organic or peeled
avocado
frozen berries of choice... enough to make the drink frosty if you like
if you taste it and need sweeter... a banana or part of one
a little water to get it moving

Have a blissfully green day!

Jayme

Wild Yeast Bread

2009-02-16T22:33:00.001-08:00

Question to think about a moment.... Where did bread come from? It's so easy to NOT think about the things that have always been a part of our lives! Well, like bread for instance and the things in bread that make it what it is. I want to perk your interest.... there is great information on the Internet. I'm just giving a little bit here and what I'm doing currently. I figure on writing enough to let you know if it may be something you want to try or not. Though I highly recommend it! It's not meant to be the greatest thing written on the subject for sure!

Where did our current form of bread come from? It all started sometime during the time B.C. When someone perhaps noticed something they were making was changing..... maybe they wanted to experiment? Maybe they only knew they had left something sit out a while and baked it not really knowing until the end? Who knows for sure how they first discovered true bread, wild yeast bread.
What is wild yeast? It is a process to say the least. Not nearly as quick as we like our conveniences in the world today! It takes time.. some more, some less. You can even catch your own and get to know the micro world around you a little better. Wild yeast differs from place to place, country to country. Someone has to catch it, to start it. You don't have to catch it every time you want to make a loaf like it's store bought counter part. Wild Yeast produces a sour dough taste, yeasts from different places taste different, some stronger some more subtle. Different yeasts grow better in different flours depending on how they're fed.
Bakers yeast is a single species called Saccharmomyces cerevisiae containing way more of these single yeast cells, while Wild Yeast dough is usually leavened by one or more species in the same dough containing far fewer cells. I believe the more yeasted single cells in bakers yeast coupled with the fact it is devoid of the lactobaccili can make for an overgrowth within our bodies of yeast. Bakers yeast came about when Microbiologists learned to isolate single yeast cells and select pure cultures. Artificially produced to make what most people call "bread" though I don't know how it can be called that. A small number of large company's make all the "breads" we see in the average supermarket. These being bleached, chemicals and additive laden, with a small number of vitamins added back in to try and compensate. Kind of sad really.

My biggest reason for loving things that are more unique, natural, real and as close to their natural state (meaning not too processed) is for the major health benefits you can achieve. This REAL sourdough bread is much healthier than anything you buy or make with commercial yeast. Their are actually 2 microorganisms at work to make it what it is. Wild yeasts are what make the bread rise and lactobaccili which are beneficial bacteria provide the flavor and help increase the natural flora living in our bodies. Lactobaccili produce an antibiotic that prevents the contamination and proliferation of harmful bacterias, in the bread, in our bodies. The bacteria involved is primarily lactobaccili. It takes about 12 hours to produce the sourdough flavor by fermentation. These 2 microorganisms work together for each to do their job. For instance maltose is a carbohydrate found in the flour that is unable to be broken down by the yeasts, however is needed unused by the lactobaccili.

You can buy cultures on the Internet or you can catch your own. I bought mine at http://www.sourdo.com/ there are many different tastes, fermentation times, which flours they work best with. It was nice to choose which ones sounded best. Also you only have to buy them once if all goes well as you keep making bread from it, saving some out for the next batch of bread and so on. I also have the book which explains everything in rich detail and is wonderful!! I still want to catch my own wild yeast, I just haven't made the time to yet.

A bit about what I do.... I got the book, a couple cultures and have made lots of bread so far and a batch of pancakes (yes! you can use it to add health and flavor to just about anything you make with flour!) I use spelt and barley flour mixed, though kamut would be great too. My breads are not light and pillowy because I don't use wheat dough but they are very delicious! I choose not to use wheat dough because I am trying to avoid genetically modified foods. Pretty much anything that is used in great abundance food wise, is genetically modified, even the organic versions. Which is why I avoid wheat. I believe that genetic modification has health consequences and I encourage you to search for the sake of your health and that of your families and friends.
If this you find it's not for you, I encourage you to take a deeper look at everything you put in your body... maybe start with things you use or consume the most. Is it bread? There are better alternatives even if not wild yeast such as:

homemade regular bread will contain fewer chemicals and additives
sprouted grain bread is a great store bought alternative, the Healthy Way brand is good
Ezekiel Bread is another awesome one
check your health food store and read labels
Specialty stores that grind there own flour and make it with simple ingredients are popping up now and these are all still a far cry from Wonder Bread (which by the way.. you should definitely be wondering about!!)

A fun and delicious recipe that isn't bread, yet has to do with fermentation and healthy nutrients and enzymes......
Homemade So Good Sauerkraut!!
1 large head cabbage
2 T sea salt (not that iodized junk)
If you want to live in the purple realm... add some purple cabbage or all purple!

Rinse, Remove outer leaves of cabbage, reserving them
Remove core
Slice cabbage very thinly
Toss with salt
pound with a sturdy wooden spoon 5-10 min till juices are released and cabbage is wilty and greatly reduced
Transfer to a quart jar
Roll reserved leaves and place on top of cabbage in jar, pushing down till the juice rises above it
Cover tightly and place somewhere out of the sun 3-5 days. Taste it periodically. When it's tangy remove leaves and place in the fridge. It will last months and tastes better with age.
Rinse with cold filtered water before eating as it will be very salty.

A day dedicated to LOVE...

2009-02-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

So I'm a little past the actual day..... :) How often I think about infusing more LOVE into, well basically everything I do in my life and everyone I come into contact with. It can be seen, heard, felt, tasted in everything we do. It is definetly missed when it's not there. No subject is more covered...... in books, poetry, songs, movies and shows. How important it is!

My thought for this day is to seek just how many ways we can add more LOVE to everything in our lives............. nothing is more important!

Have A LOVEly Day!!

Jayme

p.s. this picture my husband had taken while out and about at work~