Let’s chat about effects of white processed flour. This is the most common flour that baked goods are made with. The problem with flours like this are that they have been stripped of any nutrients. This means when you eat it, your body literally can do nothing helpful with it. So, why yes it tastes amazing it does nothing for you.
Here is what I’d like everyone to do. Take an introspective look at why you eat what you eat. There is a saying: Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Something to consider, especially as we head into the holiday season. Why are we gorging ourselves on empty calories? Because of the habit of doing it on the holiday? Because the foods that are served aren’t normally served the rest of the year and you want to get your fix and a lot of it? Take some time and dwell on why you choose to eat what you eat. Some of us are working to eat, to fuel our bodies for the long term. If you’re like me though you are still asking yourself what can better? Can I have a little bit of some of those sweets and feel ok in the morning? What is my limit and how much will it set me back? This sets me up for success so that even if I do eat a sweet treat, I plan for just a bite or two and I go for what I KNOW will be amazing! I use to eat the sweet thing I got because I got it and how rude of me to choose to not eat it. Now I know better. If I’m not thrilled with it, why am I forcing myself to finish it. It’s like staying in a bad relationship because you kind of like it in the short term, but long term it does nothing for you.
The same is true in our spiritual lives as well. It always good to stay in connection with the Holy Spirit, asking what should I do different? What is encouraging is that the Holy Spirit will let us know if we are in constant communication with Him. Simplistically, read the Bible, prayer and fellowship.
As we get ready for the Thanksgiving holiday week, let’s also reflect on our blessings, our wins with gut management and the fact that there is not failure, there is only the lessons learned and the next step. A great essential oil to use when doing this is Gathering. Place a drop in your hands and inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Do this 3 times and reminisce on the blessings God has provided, thanking Him for them.
I had horrible allergies as a kid. A few times I even had an anaphylactic reaction and was put on a Benadryl drip. Another time I received epinephrine. That is something I NEVER want to experience again. I was told that if I felt a reaction coming on that I should take 3-4 Benadryl right away. Yes, you read that correctly. That was from a doctor because my reactions were so bad and all we knew is that I was allergic to trees and grasses. Later we found out I was also allergic to pork. I took a daily allergy tablet and we thought I would live with this for the rest of my life. Fast forward to when my sister and I were officially out of the house; my mom discovered essential oils. She shared them with my sister and I. We used them off and on but not on a regular basis.
However, this is what propelled us into the world of natural medicine. I watched my mom change her diet, not consuming any flour (including nut flours or seed flours) or any sugars (not even honey or maple syrup!). I decided to follow suit as I could see a huge difference in her health after she did that. That is what started healing my gut, even though I had no idea that is what was happening, and eventually I noticed I did not have the post nasal drip and the constant feeling of gunk in the back of my throat! What an amazing transformation for me too! At this same time I also started using essential oils and essential infused products on a regular basis (Young Living brand) and that contributed to the healing process of my gut. This is only a piece of my story with this amazing products but this is the brand I know and trust because I’ve been using it for coming up on 9 years! Guys, if they weren’t working for my family and I, I wouldn’t use them. Also, if they were too expensive, I would just make them myself. But, this is not the case.
I would love to know your story about how you started down the path of healing your gut. Please share for everyone to glean from.
Starting this challenge has seemed to be the best thing for me and hopefully for all of you as well. I know we all have busy lives and can get help and motivation from a myriad of locations. However, I just wanted to say thank you! Thank you for being apart of our group, whether you do this challenge later or live, I appreciate what you bring to the group. We all have our own experiences and backgrounds. Our family currently is in a bit of a quandary as we don't know where we are heading next. Jordan has been applying to different places and one of the places we were hoping for turned him down. This means we will be moving from Lake City in the near future. Even though this definitely throws us into the unknown, the one area where we can stay consistent is with our health and wellness, especially now! Continuing to work on our gut health remains a priority. I hope you will also finish out strong, despite Thanksgiving and then Christmas preparations. Make a plan now to know what supplements you'll take with you for Thanksgivings, what you will choose to eat and what you will avoid. No judgement here! I will more then likely indulge in those pies and breads. But, the following day, my plan is to get back at it. Hope this is encouraging to you and helps you as you plan ahead as well. With that in mind here is some great information on prebiotics vs. probiotics:
Support your gut health with the ultimate duo: Life 9® probiotic supplement and Daily Prebiotic™ Fiber powder! 
With 17 billion live cultures from nine beneficial strains, our Life 9® supplement supports digestion, immunity, and a balanced microbiome—all in a single nightly capsule.
Pair it with Daily Prebiotic Fiber powder, a plant-based powerhouse that feeds your gut bacteria, supports the body’s natural detox process, and promotes healthy postbiotics in the gut.*
Benefits:
Promotes a balanced gut microbiome*
Supports a healthy digestion and immune system*
Helps build beneficial gut bacteria*For the best results, take a Life 9® capsule before bed and Daily Prebiotic Fiber powder in the morning 30 minutes before your first meal.
To all you gut-health gurus out there—what’s your secret? Share it below so every gut can benefit!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
You can check out the full facebook post here: Prebiotic vs Probiotic
To get the Do The Gut Work wishlist go here: Gut Work Wishlist
How is the gut work going? Did you cut out the sugar at least? What about the flour? I’ve cut it out where I can I worked on being intentional when o know I’ll be away from the home. When we head to Gunnison, twice a week, I love getting a mocha at Mocha’s. They are so good, but I’m also fully aware they’re full of sugar. 🫣 I’ve noticed that if I plan ahead in my heart and mind that I’m NOT getting a mocha then it’s easier to resist when I drive by them!
That brings me to another point, meal planning. When we meal plan it makes it easier to stick to our goals. Knowing what we’re eating and for me what I’m feeding the kids and what I’m avoiding when I feed my kids. For example, I make my own whole wheat sour dough bread. That’s what I feed to my kiddos. I’m choosing for this challenge to not eat as much. So, for egg sandwiches the other morning, I planned to just put my fried eggs over the leftover millet, along with some fried onions and peppers. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint in the least!
So, for today let’s do some meal planning! Share what your menu is so we can glean from each other and gather some inspiration! 🙌🏻
Good Saturday Morning! Sorry for the delay in the day 4 blog post. Saturday mornings lately have been slower and focused more on processing the produce we have grown or acquired. I sorted through tomatoes and beans. Saw the bags of amaranth and remembered they needed down as well. Kiddos have been working on their sheep skin rugs that they have big plans for.
These mornings I also enjoy doing a little bit health research. This morning I delved into some research on enzymes! I pulled this article from the lifesteps app. They have a lot of great information on health and supplements.
Before we jump into this article, wanted to share that I have used Detoxzyme on my horse when she was colicing, along with other essential oils and within 15 minutes she relaxed and was able to get back to eating and drinking normally. I was honestly shocked! I didn’t think it would work, but it has, several times.
“We've all heard how important digestive health is for overall wellness, and most recently more information has been discovered about how digestion affects immunity, mood and essentially all body systems. Because it's so important, we want to support digestion well and one way to do that daily is with enzyme supplements.
ENZYMES AT A GLANCE
* Enzymes are involved in all cellular functions in the body.
* Digestion – Enzymes break down food so that the body can digest it.
* Metabolism- Enzymes help properly metabolize the food so that the body can use the nutrients from the food.
* Respiration – Enzymes assist in getting oxygen where it is needed.
* Nutrient absorption and transportation – Enzymes help the nutrients get to where they are needed.
* Detoxification – Enzymes keep toxic sludge from building up in the body.
* Muscle movement – Enzymes assist in helping the brain communicate with the muscles.
* Hormone production – Enzymes assist in helping the body produce hormones that in turn keep the body functioning.
* Cell Repair – Enzymes assist in repairing cells which can lead to youthful skin.
* Cell division – Enzymes help keep cell division at a normal, healthy rate.
Enzymes are protein molecules that are manufactured by all plant and animal cells and are critical for our bodies to function. Enzymes allow the body’s cells to communicate well with each other, help keep cell growth, life and death under control (this is SO important!), are needed for more than 4,000 biochemical reactions in the body, and are responsible for every chemical reaction in our bodies. Also, enzymes are essential for our cells to build up and break down molecules in our bodies.
Young Living has five different enzyme supplements: EssentialZyme, EssentialZyme-4, AllerZyme, DetoxZyme, and MightyZyme. For more on each individual supplement including ingredients and suggested regimens, check out the Supplemental Field Guide (https://growinghealthyhomes.com/supplementfieldguide/).
EssentiaZyme-4 is an enzyme complex aids in the digestion of dietary fats, proteins, fiber, and carbohydrates.
ESSENTIALZYME-4 AT A GLANCE
* Utilizes dual targeted-release technology that releases the animal- and plant-based enzymes at separate times within the digestive tract for optimal nutrient absorption
* Formulated with a unique blend of herbal ingredients
* Infused with Ginger, Fennel, Tarragon, and Anise premium essential oils
The plant-based enzyme capsules contain a mix of enzymes that break down starch, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and minerals and are designed to release immediately upon entering the stomach, where the environment is conducive to the digestion of plant material. These capsules also contain bromelain and papain, plant-based enzymes from pineapple and papaya with wonderful health benefits, and they are infused with digestive-supporting essential oils.
The animal-based enzymes contain pancreatic enzymes, bee pollen and an essential oil blend that supports digestion and are designed to target release in the lower intestine region, where the environment is better suited for the digestion of animal fats and proteins.
TO USE
Take 2 capsules (1 dual-dose blister pack) 2 times daily with the largest meals of the day (4 capsules total).
EssentialZyme is a multienzyme complex formulated to support and balance digestive health and stimulate overall enzyme activity and is best taken an hour before a meal. EssentialZyme contains tarragon, peppermint, anise, fennel, and clove essential oils that help improve enzyme activity, and support healthy pancreatic function.
ESSENTIALZYME AT A GLANCE
* Stimulates overall enzyme activity
* Supports and balances digestive health
* Supports healthy pancreatic function
* Assists the body in breaking down and digesting food
Essentialzyme contains a unique blend of enzymes such as pancrelipase and pancreatin that are known to assist the body in breaking down and digesting food, as well as Tarragon, Peppermint, Anise, Fennel, and Clove premium essential oils to improve overall enzyme activity and support healthy pancreatic function.
TO USE
Take 1 dual time-release caplet 1 hour before your largest meal of the day for best results.
What is the difference between Essentialzyme-4 and Essentialzyme:
Essentialzyme: a unique blend of enzymes such as pancrelipase and pancreatin that are known to assist the body in breaking down and digesting food, as well as Tarragon, Peppermint, Anise, Fennel, and Clove premium essential oils to improve overall enzyme activity and specifically support healthy pancreatic function. These enzymes are to be taken once a day before your largest meal.
Essentialzyme-4: a set of two dual enzyme capsules infused with Ginger, Fennel, Tarragon, and Anise premium essential oils. In combination, these two capsules aid in the digestion of dietary fats, proteins, fiber, and carbohydrates for optimal nutrient absorption. These enzymes are to be taken with your two largest meals of the day.
AllerZyme is a vegetarian enzyme complex that works with your body’s natural systems to promote normal digestive function. AllerZyme is specifically formulated for individuals with dietary and environmental sensitivities and helps provide relief of symptoms such as fullness, pressure, bloating, gas, pain, and/or minor cramping that may occur after eating.
ALLERZYME AT A GLANCE
* Vegetarian enzyme complex that promotes normal digestion
* Works with your body's natural system
* Provides relief of occasional symptoms such as fullness, pressure, bloating, gas, pain, and/or minor cramping that may occur after eating
* Contains plantain leaf, well known for its ability to calm digestive inflammation
* Infused with tarragon and ginger essential oils
Each ingredient in Allerzyme is gentle on the system while also playing a specific support role for nutrient absorption and digestive health. This formulation is specifically designed for vegetarian individuals and those with dietary and environmental sensitivities.
DetoxyZyme is a blend of enzymes and essential oils formulated to promote detoxification and cleansing, which helps support normal digestive function. DetoxZyme contains powerful essential oils like cumin, anise, and fennel that work synergistically with fast acting, powerful enzymes to help break down food and assimilate nutrients and help mitigate symptoms of digestive upset.
DETOXZYME AT A GLANCE
* Promotes detoxification and cleansing
* Vegetarian-friendly formula
* Helps provide relief fullness, pressure, bloating, gas, pain, and/or minor cramping
* Works synergistically with a cleansing program
* Helps the body get rid of toxins, parasites and yeast overgrowth
This formulation works to complete the digestive process, improve mineral absorption from food, improve gallbladder and liver function, prevent yeast overgrowth and detoxify the gastrointestinal tract. DetoxZyme includes enzymes similar to EssentialZyme and EssentialZyme-4, but the formulation in DetoxZyme is specifically geared toward detoxifying the digestive system.
KidScents MightyZyme is a chewable enzyme supplement designed to support and assist the digestive needs of growing bodies and the normal digestion of foods.
MIGHTYZYME AT A GLANCE
* Good for relief of fullness, pressure, bloating, gas, pain or minor cramping that may occur after eating
* Chewable enzyme tablet for children or adults
* Plant-based formula
* Suitable for children age 2 and older
* Contains peppermint essential oil to support healthy digestion
Enzymes are crucial to our health and digestion, and in an ideal world our foods would be rich in natural enzymes. Unfortunately the average diet and even the soil quality of our produce lead us to be sorely depleted in enzymes at an early age. Without these little workers, we are not assimilating the nutrients that we need, and we all know that growing bodies need those nutrients!”
