Wellness Wednesday: My Health Squad

I've made a lot of changes in the health realm in the past year. This time last year, I was in the midst of the Repairvite Diet and hadn't even begun the quest to remove chemicals from my life. Now, I'm in the midst of cutting chemicals and adding all kinds of practices to my life that I didn't even know existed a year ago.

So here's a convenient overview of the things I've changed/added to my life to benefit my health (or lack thereof) up until now:

Diet |
No gluten, dairy, corn, soy, refined sugar, yeast, nightshades, or nuts (besides cashews). I may start trying a couple of nightshades and nuts over time to see how I handle them now, but besides that, these restrictions work best for me and my autoimmune needs. And while I definitely still have plenty of issues, my stomach feels so much better not eating these foods.

Some of my favorite meals lately:
Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad
Allergy-Friendly Pepperoni Pizza
Bacon and Egg McGriddle
Crockpot Balsamic Chicken

Brands I can't get enough of:
Larabars, particularly Blueberry Muffin
So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Bars and Mini Chocolate Chips

And invaluable resources:
Empowered Sustenance
Brittany Angell-- get her book here, and read my take on it here

Products |
Makeup, lip gloss, and lotion: 100% Pure (see full review here)
Shampoo: Morrocco Method (see my full review here)
Hand soap: Common Good (see my full review here)
Body soap: Kirk's Original Coco Castile Bar Soap
Coconut oil for shaving (see full review here)
Toothpaste: Redmond Earthpaste (though I also made my own out of baking soda and coconut oil for a while)
Hand Sanitizer: Cleanwell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer
The Squatty Potty: for real. You need this.
Himalayan Salt Lamp for air purification and more (explained here)
Beeswax candles for air purification (explained here)
F.lux free computer screen software (explained here)
Grounding/Earthing mats for home and the car (learn more here)
Shower filter
BPA-free water bottles 

Routine |
You already know I hate routine and schedules. But there are a few things I do my best to keep in there:
Oil pulling first thing daily (full explanation here)
Apply magnesium oil twice daily (explained here)
Drink warm lemon water with a little pink Himalayan salt before breakfast (explained here)
Vitamin D-3 daily
Rebounding twice daily (explained here) and deep breathing for lymphatic system health (explained here)
T-Tapp twice weekly (more here)

And believe it or not, there are still all kinds of things I want and need to add to my routine (including this and these) and of course all kinds of new recipes I want to try, particularly from Brittany Angell's book. I'm not really much better than I was this time a year ago, but I just added several of the above items to my routine and so haven't had time to gauge their effectiveness for me yet. But I already feel rather relieved knowing I'm doing them. Plus I'll be seeing a new doctor in February. So hopefully this year goes much much better in the health department than last year ... and the past three years.

All these things are by no means only for people who are sick. Those who are healthy have no less reason to take care of their bodies than those who are sick, so I highly recommend everything on this list for even those without health issues! :)

Have you tried/are you trying any of the above things?

Are there any chemical-free products you love?

Wellness Wednesday: More Chemical-Free Success

I've mentioned before that I am on a journey to remove chemicals from my life. And part of that includes finding new makeup and new shampoo. So I wanted to share these new-to-me companies that I've added to my life lately. (And nope, wasn't asked to do this review--this is all me.)

100% Pure

Turns out, the makeup I've been using for years (largely Maybelline) is not good for you. As is the case with most widely used makeup brands. (Here's one of many resources to give you an idea of how "good" your makeup is.)

So I heard about 100% Pure from Lauren at Empowered Sustenance and really wanted to try it for a while. They have everything from lip balm to nail polish, and their products are made from fruits and vegetables. (You can read more about them here.) So a couple of months ago, I got to finally try them out. Here's what I got (makeup and more) and my opinion of each:

Jasmine Green Tea Moisturizer || Thrilled to death to find a moisturizer that is chemical-free and doesn't have shea butter in it. So many of the chemical-free options for anything, from any company, have shea butter in them, which I'm allergic to. My face thanks you, 100% Pure. I don't care for the smell, but I will take what I can get--and hopefully I can try a different scent next time. Also, a little goes a long way, which is great.

Vanilla Bean Body Cream || I went without lotion for a couple of months while waiting to try something like this. (Shaving with coconut oil removed the real need for it on my legs.) As with the moisturizer, I don't care a lot for this smell (I would definitely not describe it as vanilla. It smells kind of like the cheap lotion you're given as a free sample, but again, I will gladly take what I can get). And a very little amount goes a long way, which means this big of a bottle should last forever.

Organic Mint Lip Balm || LOVE this stuff. Love it. And hoping I get some more for Christmas. ;) I've been using Mint Chap Stick (you know, the real brand) my whole life. And I could not live without it. So this lip balm had a lot to live up to. My first impressions were that it does not smell like the same mint as Mint Chap Stick (maybe Wintergreen instead?), which, as with the lotions, I'm willing to sacrifice for quality. But the flavor has since grown on me just fine. My other first impression was that it feels amazing and seems to last a lot longer than Chap Stick. Why was I surprised?? I will gladly pay $6 for "chap stick" that works this well and is chemical free.

Fruit Pigmented Cream Foundation: Alpine Rose || Okay, this one is going to be the longest commentary... I first ordered the shade "White Peach" thinking that it was the lightest shade, according to the pictures. But once I got it and used it, it was way too dark for me. Turns out I completely overlooked the "Alpine Rose" shade (my reason is that it was on a separate row from the others, so I totally missed it), and then the photos for "Creme" and "White Peach" were switched, which I emailed them to ask about and found out was the case. My attempt to exchange "White Peach" for the lightest shade was more difficult than it should have been, as I wanted to make sure which was the lightest shade. They were quick to respond to my emailed inquiries but not so quick when I had further questions. Also, one respondent told me "Creme" was the lightest shade, then another told me that "Alpine Rose" was, and the second wouldn't reply when I tried to confirm which was the lightest because of the mixed answers I was getting. So, obviously, I went with Alpine Rose, which is indeed the lightest. They also emailed me this picture guide (which really needs to be completed to include Alpine Rose and then really needs to be on their website ... guess I'm even more pale than the girl on the left?):

Now, as far as the product itself, it initially seemed like it was very hard, but I'm thinking now that's just because it's the winter. Once I really rubbed it with my finger (which I'm guessing warmed it up and got it going), it's much better. It's not as spreadable as the cream foundation I'm used to, but still much better than it was initially, and so far I like it.

Fruit Pigmented Brightening Concealer: Creme || This was the lightest shade offered for the concealer, and it works. It also is very smooth, more so than the brand I was using.

Fruit Pigmented Pretty Naked Palette || This is the biggest "steal" of all. Buying four eyeshadows and a blush would cost three or four times the cost of this palette, so when I found it, I was thrilled. And it's obviously pretty popular, as it was sold out when I found it. I emailed them to ask when it would be back, and they said it was excpected by the coming weekend and that they would email me when it was in. And they did! (What company ever does what they say they'll do right when they say they'll do it??) So, mixed experiences communicating with this company.

As far as the palette itself, I do like it and highly recommend getting it first if you're thinking about ordering blush and separate eyeshadows from them. Plus, having it all in one magnetic container is so convenient.

One note when browsing 100% Pure: make sure to click on all the categories under "Featured" before making your decisions, as for some reason that area contains some items, like the palette above, that should be under other places, like Makeup, but are not.

Overall: Love or at least like what I have, am thrilled that these chemical free versions are as nice as they are, and hope to try out more products from them soon. Next on my list is eyeliner--the one makeup item I haven't yet found a chemical-free, shea butter-free replacement for. I have no plans to ever go back to my old makeup.

Morrocco Method

Shampoo || I also found out about Morrocco Method from Lauren at Empowered Sustenance and finally tried their shampoo a couple of months ago. While it is expensive, I do think it's worth it. My favorite flavors are the ones above (you don't have to use all 5 like they claim on the website), and they do smell rather earthy. The feel is very different from the shampoo you're used to, and it does not get sudsy, so you do have to work harder to spread it through your hair and rinse it. It will feel odd at first, but I promise you get used to it. They recommend you wash twice, so I wet my hair first, put a little on the top of my head, back of my head, and closer to the ends to get a head start on spreading it and then wash, focusing on my hair. I rinse well, gently lifting my hair off my scalp with my fingers (kinda like a massage--it feels good). Then I put some shampoo on the top and the back again and wash, focusing on my scalp, like a massage, and rinse well again. It takes longer, but it feels good and cleans so well. My hair even feels a little thicker as I wash it.

Since this shampoo is chemical free, your hair will go through a detox process from the chemicals it's been exposed to for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, so mine is still detoxing. Which for me means it feels oily to the touch even when it's not and tends to have an almost wet look to it. I've read that you can make the process go faster by brushing a couple times a day with their Boar Bristle Brushes.

Even though my hair is still detoxing, I've already had some immediate perks: I used to have to wash my hair every other day, and by the time I went that long, my hair was nasty. Now, my hair looks that way a day later than it used to. Win for me! ;) Also, within just a couple of uses, my hair color looked redder--not in a "wow, did you dye it?" way, but almost like the color had gotten duller and darker and dusty over the years (I've never dyed it), and now it's been polished. Which is awesome. (And would make sense, because my hair's natural, un-chemical-ruined color and texture can be released.)

It seems thicker, not that I have more hair growing but that what I do have left from sickness-induced hair loss is thicker. And it is also curlier, which I am not sure (but am hoping) is permanent but may just be part of the detox process.

Overall: While I don't have the final, all-done-detoxing review for you, I love this shampoo so far and plan to keep using it. I have no plans to ever go back to my old shampoo.

I will probably keep trying more chemical-free brands as time goes on, but for now, between 100% pure, Morrocco Method, and the mascara I've shared before, I am so happy to know I've stopped using chemicals on my hair and skin!

I won't be here on Friday for My Friday Five,

but I'll be back on Saturday for the last Sweet Deal Saturday,

so don't miss that two-day deal!

Have a wonderful Christmas, you guys! :)

Wellness Wednesday: Crockpot Balsamic Chicken

If you've been following Life, KV Style for a while, this recipe may look familiar to you. And that's because it's a faster, easier version of one of my favorite recipes that I shared several months ago. And I'm all about easy + healthy meals! Crockpots are definitely my friend. :)

Crockpot Balsamic Chicken

You'll need: 

6-8 chicken breasts or 10-12 tenders

1/2-3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2-3 tsp. garlic powder
a few pinches of salt (I use pink himalayan salt)

a few pinches of pepper

just enough water to cover the bottom of the crockpot

1) Place all the ingredients in the crockpot on high for 6 hours. (Don't forget to use a crockpot liner if you use those--much recommend.)

You know that's about it, right? ;)

For the optional sauce:

You'll need:
3 Tbsp. olive oil

4-5 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4-1/3 cup honey
a couple pinches of salt and pepper

1) Heat the oil in a skillet on medium/medium high and add the balsamic vinegar. Stir it around.

2) Once it's warmed (about 30 seconds), add the honey. Stir it around.

3) Once the mixture starts bubbling (takes a minute or two) add the salt and pepper and stir again. Remove from heat or it will burn.

You can either place the finished chicken in the sauce and stir the pieces around to coat them, or use the sauce as a dip or dressing. I like to use it as a dip but in this instance just drizzled it on the chicken and rice. As with most things, it's great served with rice and Easy Fried Broccoli.

Soo easy. And I'll probably be eating a lot of this over Christmas. :)

P.S. Linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday.

Wellness Wednesday: Why Sick Bloggers Blog About Being Sick

The topic of this post may seem like a no-brainer, but it's something I still feel like I should probably explain.

Bloggers blog about their life--things going on, things that interest them, things that are important to them, things about them, happenings, news, etc. And if they're extra brave, they don't just blog about the happy things, which we all know tends to imply that life is nothing but smooth sailing.

All of the above also applies to bloggers like me who live with a chronic illness. It would be silly (in my opinion) to not talk about my health problems and what it's like living with them. It would paint a totally inaccurate picture of me and my life. And it would also be a missed opportunity to spread awareness of my kinds of illnesses and what it's like living with a chronic illness in general.

To someone who is ill, no abundance of description can be accurate and vivid enough to get across what such an existence is like. But to those who are not, it is so abnormal and out of their comfort zone to read what people like me live with every day that attempts at descriptions can seem exaggerated. It can also seem like we're either doing nothing but complaining or are totally self-centered and depressed people. But the reality is that we are simply trying to get across our very complex, unavoidable reality in words that those who cannot understand it experientially can at least begin to understand in theory.

This blog is a chance to speak up about chronic illness and raise awareness. What good would it do for me to just keep to myself what all's going on with my health problems? Then no one who's suffering as I am can see that they're not alone, no one can benefit from any tips and discoveries I pass along, and no one who's well can become aware that there are tons of people out there not functioning day in and day out like they are. That their health and ability to function is to be treasured every day and is as unimaginable a condition as our sickness is to them. And such awareness brings understanding, if not experiential, and also validation to those of us who feel so abnormal and misunderstood.

I don't expect a lot to come of such posts of mine, as I'm sure most other chronically ill bloggers don't. (And there are a lot of us.) We just want you to know. To be informed.

So when people like me post about our treatments, our difficulties, our day-to-day experiences, or just seem to mention health issues in any post regardless of topic, we're not doing it to get attention or because we're just so horribly engrossed in ourselves--it's because that is our life, whether we like it (ha) or not. And we don't expect you to understand it. We would just love for you to be willing to try.

Wellness Wednesday: Oil Pulling

You knew I'd be blogging about this eventually, right? Yep, I decided to finally try oil pulling a couple of months ago. And now I'm here to give you my take on it. (This page contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after following these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you!)

So the whole point of oil pulling, in case you haven't heard about it, is to draw toxins out of your body. An added bonus is whiter teeth. This link can explain it all better and more thoroughly than I can.

I do the oil pulling first thing when I get up every day and swish a little less than a tablespoon of it for up to 20 minutes. After disposing of it in the trash, I then brush and floss as usual. And I have experienced two main results from adding this to my day:

Whiter teeth || For years, my teeth would not whiten. Even using the special Crest 3D White toothpaste, even by switching to an automatic toothbrush, and even though both of those made Daniel's teeth whiter. Mine just refused to whiten. Within just a couple of weeks (maybe less) of oil pulling, my teeth were actually whiter. (They actually look a bit whiter immediately after oil pulling.) So to me, that alone is worth it. But I have an even better result of adding oil pulling to my life.

Fewer and less severe migraines || I may have mentioned back in August that I started having daily what I can only call migraines. I won't go into attempting to describe them here, but the main reason I decided to try oil pulling was to try to get rid of them. Within a couple weeks of starting this routine, the migraines were significantly lessened. And now if I go a couple of days without oil pulling, I can tell by the pain in my head.

So if you think you'd like to give oil pulling a try, I do have a few tips for you:

Use the good brands || All coconut oil brands are not created equal. Here's a guide for you. I originally used LouAna, which was nasty and, come to find out, not what I should be using. I now use Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil honestly because that's the brand that Lauren at Empowered Sustenance recommended and I trust her.

Take it slow || Everyone should start slow with this. It's weird at first and doesn't taste great (also depends on your brand--Nutiva is practically candy compared to LouAna...), so you need to become accustomed to it. So start out with just a couple minutes and gradually do it longer each time until you reach about 15 minutes. It will get easier. I actually like having to do it first thing when I get up because typically when I am finally able to get out of bed, I want to just start whatever I need to do that day, like putting up dishes, taking jewelry pictures, etc., and true to my impatient personality, I hate having to first brush my teeth and floss, fix myself food, blah, blah, when I have things to do! (Yes, this is for real. :P) So having 20 minutes to do stuff to distract myself from the junk in my mouth before brushing and eating and all that is really nice and usually a very productive time for me. ;)

I also want to mention that if you have a chronic illness, are out of shape, are not a very active person, or do not use mouthwash regularly, you especially should take it slow. Don't go all out swishing the first few times. I actually just started out trying 2 or three times a week and very gradually worked up from 5 to 15-20 minutes and have only recently started doing it daily. Swishing and even holding the oil in your mouth uses muscles you don't typically use, so they have to get used to it. I actually had to go lie down after the first several times because my face was so tired. (Yes, I have problems...) But it gets better!

Give it time || Like I said, it does feel weird, but you get more used to it. And as with anything, you won't see results right away, so give it a good couple weeks before abandoning the idea. (And even if you don't see any results, there's a good chance it's still helping you.)

One major warning || Do not do this if you have amalgam (silver) fillings. There are made of mercury that will leach out when you do the oil pulling.

Have you tried oil pulling?

~~~

Read more about another great use for coconut oil:

Wellness Wednesday: The Holidays Are Hard

Guys, the holidays are hard. I know, they're hard for everyone to some extent. But trust me, they are extra hard for those with a chronic illness.

I used to love Christmas. Like most normal people. But over the past couple years, I've realized that I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving and Christmas anymore. A large part of that is simply because they take place in the winter time, which I've already mentioned makes me feel even worse--air conditioning alone causes me pain, so of course the cold temperatures, even if I'm indoors, make my pain worse. So this makes winter, and therefore the holidays, even harder.

But I've also recently realized the now-obvious reason that I'm not a huge fan of the holidays: they're just so hard. Because doing much of anything with a chronic illness is hard. And this is true for anyone with a chronic illness. But for me personally, considering some days showering is my accomplishment and great days are when I do the dishes and make dinner? We have only so many spoons to use. And when it comes to Thanksgiving celebrations, which involve making yourself presentable, driving or riding to the gathering, then being at the gathering for hours ... most spoons are already gone by the time you've done your hair and makeup and gotten dressed. Add to Christmas the whole shopping and wrapping gifts thing, and the decorating that likely won't even happen.

Further, if you have certain food needs, as many with chronic illnesses do, that's an extra burden. You most likely have to make all your own food ahead of time (watch the spoons disappear before the big day's even begun), figure out how to transport it, figure out how to heat what needs heated/find room to refrigerate what needs it once you're there, etc. (Heaven forbid you travel 8 hours away and not be able to transport perishable items. Ahem.) All of these are small things alone, but add them up, and they're just one more additional stress after another weighing on you. And we all know that stress makes anyone feel worse.

And that's just everything leading up to the big day--we're not even to the actual meal yet. When you're sick, just sitting down to eat at a table (which some cannot even do) and the action of constantly raising your fork to your mouth and chewing can be exhausting. I frequently have to take a breather while eating at family gatherings just because sitting upright in a stiff chair and raising my arm that far to my mouth over and over is straining and tiring. Then try to hold any kind of conversation, while also foggy as usual with any number of other issues like stomach pain or dizziness or sensory overload going on, and also juggle the inevitable, often well-intended but sometimes rude inaccurate comments and questions that are sure to come. It makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

So the answer for those with the chronic illness? Pace yourself the best you can, and don't be afraid to say no. In my few years being sick, I've gained a thicker skin. I still feel guilty for things I can't do (though it's not my fault), and I'm not sure that will ever totally go away. But I used to feel so apologetic about being gluten-free or saying no to things I knew I couldn't do and felt like I had to always explain myself. And also felt like a total weirdo for my food needs. But now that I don't eat gluten, dairy, soy, corn, nuts, nightshades, or refined sugar? I know that's what my body needs--I'm convinced of it by the way I feel when I eat those foods. But most many people don't get it and won't try to because it's so abnormal to them. My needs and my problems are an inconvenience to others, way out of the ordinary, and hard to grasp. But they are part of me now, and my needs are requirements, not preferences, so I ... kind of don't care what others think/say about it anymore. I have to not.

And for those who love someone with a chronic illness? Dear Rebecca at Caravan Sonnet recently shared 15 Ways to Help a Friend With a Chronic Illness During Thanksgiving. Can it get any better than that? These tips are wonderful, and I highly recommend reading them and passing them along.

Plus, Rebecca has also compiled a list of 30 Christmas Present Ideas for Your Chronically Ill Friend. Of course all of these won't apply to absolutely everyone with a chronic illness, just based on their personal situations, but this list is an excellent guide, and just tailor it to what you know about your ill friend (or ask someone who would know). #30 is also very important--just as even Daniel can't know exactly what I'm going through, the same goes for me and what he's going through. The caregivers are even more overlooked than the sick, and they need encouragement too.

So this Thanksgiving and Christmas? I'll be shopping online (which I've already done a lot of), eating lots of this chicken in a modified, easier (but amazing) crockpot version (which I really need to share on here) or this pizza with these or these cookies for dessert (all also in hopes of making everyone jealous of Kacie's "weird" food), not decorating besides our tree--and that only because of Daniel's help--and just trying to breathe.

Wellness Wednesday: Cinnamon Cookies + Ice Cream Crumble

You may have gathered that I've been on a Chocolate Chip Cookie kick for a while now. I'm by no means tired of them (is that even possible?), but I recently decided I needed to make cinnamon cookies. Cinnamon tastes awesome and is awesome for you, so why not make some cookies with it? However, Pinterest failed me when I went looking for recipes; I did try one but it wasn't awesome. So I decided to just modify the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Of course! If it ain't broke...

As with the Chocolate Chip Cookies, the original recipe is from the Bloomfield Farms Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix box, of course with changes to make it much more allergen-friendly and healthy.

You'll need:
1 1/4 cup flour (I use 1 cup of King Arthur Gluten Free Flour and 1/4 cup Bloomfield Farms Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix as I've found that results in a better texture--not too thick and not too runny.)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 heaping tsp cinnamon (feel free to use less or more based on preference--I recommend this for cookies, less for ice cream topping [see below])
3/4 cup coconut sugar (I use this or this)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut milk (the cold kind in a carton--I use this)

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2) Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
3) In another bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk.
4) Combine the ingredients from the two bowls and mix. It is crazy how different this dough looks from the chocolate chip cookie dough, with the only difference being the addition of cinnamon. It's almost grainy--but not in a bad way.
5) Lightly grease a baking sheet (I use olive oil spray). Scoop out the dough with two spoons--one to scoop and one to rake the dough onto the sheet.
6) Bake for 10 minutes. One batch gets me around 12 cookies. (So I like to double it. ;)

These cookies come out with a delightful texture--bordering on crumbly without actually falling apart. And the cinnamon is present but not at all too strong.

I highly recommend microwaving them when they're not fresh anymore.... :D

But this recipe has an extra perk to it. It's just as worthy for the purpose of making an ice cream topping as it is for cookies!

And it belongs in a bowl of this chocolate ice cream and this vanilla ice cream by So Delicious. Aka Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl. ;)

Looks kinda like sawdust, tastes amazing--way too good to be gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and sugar-free. ;)

And now, unlike last year where my dessert was mostly this awesome chocolate, maybe I can show up to Thanksgiving and Christmas armed with not one, not two, but now three kinds of cookies?? :D

I have all kinds of healthy + yummy recipes on

my newly picture-filled recipe page!

Check it out! :)

Wellness Wednesday: The One Key to Eat Healthy Successfully

So many people are hopping on the healthy eating bandwagon, whether they're going vegan, going paleo, cutting out gluten, dairy, and sugar, whatever. I joined the bandwagon out of desperation almost exactly a year ago now with the Repairvite diet and have remained on it out of necessity, since I can now tell what foods bother me and what ones don't. (Goodbye gluten, dairy, soy, corn, refined sugar, nightshades, and most nuts ... for now. But don't worry, I still eat good!)

But something I'm also seeing a lot of is people trying to jump on any of the above bandwagons ... and failing. Fast. And I think there is one key reason for that:

Too much too soon.

If you're used to going out to eat every week, living on gluten (guys, it's in like everything), having cheese daily, drinking pop with every meal, going to Starbucks every day, picking up Krispy Kreme whenever you see that light on, you're not going to be able to just wake up and change in one day. You'll go crazy. And give in really soon. Not to mention have blood sugar crashes and who knows what else.

So what's the key to eating healthy successfully? Just cut out one thing at a time. Don't go clean out your fridge and pantry and go out and buy all brand-new, healthy foods. You're just setting yourself up for misery. Which leads to failure. Even with my Repairvite diet, I didn't just up and cut everything out--I had already been gluten-free for over a year and also hadn't had potatoes or apples in years (that may not seem like a big deal, but think all fries and chips). I was also drastically lessening my pop intake. So if you want to cut out gluten and dairy and sugar, for example, just start with one of those. Let yourself get used to that for a couple weeks or so, then add another.

Even when I finally went without all the other foods listed above, it was hard. Yeah, I cried once. My body was used to eating crap, so it had to get used to the changes, so sure, it felt weird at first. But I didn't just give in, because I was desperate for health and the end goal was more important to me than Dr. Pepper or Little Caesars. Your end goal has to be more important to you than food.

So if you're thinking about changing the way you eat, go for it! You really can do it! Just pace yourself, set realistic goals, and keep your eye on the prize: health.

~ ~ ~

Further tip: don't deprive yourself of everything remotely like your favorite unhealthy foods. Find you some substitutes--they're all out there!

P.S. Linking up with Let It Shine, Be.You.Tiful Link Party, Let Your Light Shine 

Wellness Wednesday: Plea to the Lucky Ones

There are a lot of blog posts and articles out there about not letting ourselves be jealous of the lives it appears people are leading through the filter of social media. It's a problem that I am sure most of us deal with, and all of the posts and articles are exactly right--you can't compare your every day to other people's highlight reels.

But (here we go...) when you have a chronic illness, it's a bit different. You don't see people's highlight reels. You see healthy people. No, healthy people's lives aren't all sunshine and roses, but go with me here. You know that they have the capability of holding a job, taking care of their house and cleaning, keeping their family fed. And not just accomplishments in general (shoot, do healthy people even see those as accomplishments?), but every single day, day in, day out, taking a shower, getting themselves ready, driving to and from work, getting groceries, running to Starbucks, painting their nails, going out with friends, going on trips, the nitty gritty, the mundane every day things--and frequently many of those in the same day--without a second thought. That is just normal life to them.

So when I see people like that ... any healthy people ... sharing glimpses of their healthy life, just mentioning in passing all the things they did that day like it's nothing, yes, it's easy to be jealous of them and envy their ability to live and thrive physically. It's very easy to be bitter about where they are and where I am and wonder why on earth I've been robbed of the ability to even be able to be in charge of the grocery shopping and the laundry and holding a "real job." To be stuck in the kind of life where Daniel is thrilled if I've actually made dinner and done the dishes for a full work week.

But it's not the healthy people that I resent. I resent and am saddened by the possibility of any of them not realizing and appreciating how amazing, miraculous, and absolutely priceless it is that they can take a shower, get ready, drive to work, buy groceries, drive home, make dinner, do the dishes, clean, hang out with friends, go on trips...

Not to mention (but I will anyway) things like being able to get out of a car easily, not frequently being out of breath, putting away groceries without having to rest after, not having to lie down after taking a shower. Or even being able to sit in air conditioning without it causing you pain, not being anxious about going out to eat and your specially ordered food being contaminated with something that'll send you into death-pains a few hours later, not dreading fall and winter because it means more pain, or being able to always get up and fix yourself food when you need it ... I could go on and on.

And being able to do all of this without a second thought about their body cooperating, no dread of having to back out of plans, no fear that their body might freak out from sensory overload while they're out and rob them of the ability to enjoy it. The limit to their dreams being the sky and not their health.

So today I just have one wish--a plea really: if you're one of the lucky ones whose normal equals healthy, as busy as your life is, as tiring as it is running crazy every day doing 6200 things, please, please be thankful you can do those 6200 things. Please take care of yourself so that you can stay that way to the best of your ability. And please never stop being grateful for the freedom you have in health.

Wellness Wednesday: Coconut Sauce Chicken Alfredo

When I shared this Shredded Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe a few weeks ago, I said that there were so many different ways to use it: You can use it in place of the turkey in this Easy Turkey and Veggie Fry, you can use it in Lettuce Wraps like this, and you can even use the chicken in place of pepperoni in this pizza recipe. I've also already shared my Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad with Coconut Mayo, one of my favorite meals lately, and now I'm back with one last use for this awesome chicken (though the possibilities are endless, of course).

Now, this obviously isn't Chicken Alfredo, but that was the inspiration, and I do think it tastes rather like it. Plus, if you already have the chicken made ahead of time (like I like to do), this meal is super easy to make.

You'll need:
Shredded Lemon Garlic Chicken, made with the addition of basil
Rice (I use this)
Olive oil
Basil
Garlic powder
Sea Salt
Pepper
This coconut "mayo" sauce

1) Cook the rice according to the directions, then drizzle olive oil in a pan and briefly fry the rice in it, along with a few generous sprinkles of salt, pepper, basil, and garlic powder.
2) Place the rice in a dish, top with the chicken (warmed if you didn't just make it) and coconut sauce, and stir together.

All done!

Easy enough? I like to serve it with this broccoli or salad. And once again, the secret to this meal is the ever-versatile coconut sauce that I just keep using! It's great as a dressing, a pizza sauce, and now an "alfredo" sauce too.

Enjoy! If you like this, be sure to check out the rest of my healthy, yummy recipes!

{linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday, Real Food Recipe Roundup here and here, Time to Sparkle, Share It Link Party, Do Tell Tuesday, Let Your Light Shine, Treat Yo' Self Thursday}

Abe's Market Common Good Natural Cleaners Review

The following is an honest review in exchange for products of my choice. This post contains affiliate links.

I'm back again with another product review courtesy of Abe's Market. My shopping spree covered more than just mascara, and I was eager to try their Natural Home Products, so I'm here to share with you the rest of my chosen items: 

I chose a Natural Household Cleaner, Natural Hand Soaps, and Natural Dishwashing Soap.

Daniel got to do the honors with testing out the all-purpose cleaner: 

The good news: 

It appears to be free of the toxins we're avoiding.

It didn't take much to do the job when it came to cleaning the bathroom sink. 

It was strong enough to conquer some red mold even.

The bad news: 

It didn't, however, work on the bathtub.

It also smells like decomposing leaves and pine needles. Which may be your thing but wasn't Daniel's. 

I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

The hand soap:

The good news: 

It's natural, of course.

 Seems to work well and smells good. The coriander scent is a bit odd but not bad, and the lavender scent is very strong.

The bad news:

Not much besides the price. Not awful (a whole lot less than the mascara I reviewed a few weeks ago), but still more than I wish I had to pay for natural hand soap.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The dish soap:

The good news:

It smells good. And again, it does appear to be free of the main toxics we're trying to avoid.

The bad news:

Its woeful performance. Picture proof:

I used a normal amount of soap and got a couple plates, a couple cups, and just a few utensils done before the suds were all gone, as you can see. I gave it a few more tries and had to use a lot at a time and it still wasn't sufficient. We gave up on it and will have it on hand for when we run out of other brands. I know you can't really compare the performance of a natural soap to Dawn, but ... you really should be able to, shouldn't you? Is it too much to ask?

I give it 2 out of 5. I would give it 1, but you gotta give it another star for being natural.

You knew if I was reviewing it, it wasn't going to be all sunshine everywhere, right? Oh to be able to give a totally positive review. One can dream right? ;) But the quest for natural is not over, and I have nowhere near exhausted the options. :) You never know what you might find at Abe's Market--they have some of everything, all natural, so if you're like me and wanting to remove chemicals and toxins from your life, there are all kinds of options for you at Abe's Market. Just because these weren't perfect, that doesn't mean there aren't all kinds of other awesome things to be found!

Have you tried this brand before? Do you have any natural cleaners or soaps you love?