Baby #3 on the way!

Today, I head the one of the best sounds. A tiny heartbeat. Our family of 4 will be a family of 5 around the beginning of September 2011. Thanks to my sugar free year, I am starting this pregnancy with a weight below the 2 previous pregnancies. I vow not to look like the above picture! I was a chubber.

I have to admit, I do think I am headed in the right direction. As 12 1/2 weeks, I am down 5lbs. Sick, sick, sick. I am so glad the 1st trimester is almost over. I hope I am not sick until 20 weeks like the last pregnacy.

My goal is to gain around 20-25 lbs by doing the following:

1. Not snacking at night.

2. Eating smaller meals.

3. Limiting sugar.

4. Exercising regularly (as soon as I feel well).

I did make it 2010 without consuming any deserts made from sugar! Woohoo. I consumed some sugar on January 1, 2011, but not without consequence. I FEEL horrible if I eat much sugar at all. I have almost a zero tolerance for sugar. I guess the stuff really is toxic.

Pass the Latte!

An old picture.... but fully displays the way I feel about Chai! =)

In 18 days, I will have made it an entire year without a substantial amount of sugar. What an accomplishment. I have been asked, "What will you eat first?" and "Will you go back to sugar?" This year I have felt healthier than I have in years... maybe ever. = ) I have more energy and less illness. Nothing short of amazing. Truly amazing. My answer to the questions?? I may take one day "off" of non-sugar. My day off will without a doubt include a Chai Latte and possibly one well choosen sugary treat. On January 2nd 2011, I will again be sugar free. I am hesitant to write this but I may include dairy. When I am dairy free I feel even better. So, pass the latte and celebrate......another year of sugar free!

Still sugar free-update.

I am still sugar free! YAY! I am still striving to be the healthiest me I can be. In the pictures above, I am wearing the same exact brand and style of jeans just several sizes smaller in the first picture. I feel amazing after shedding all those pounds (35+ to date). I still have more weight to shed but I am not as ambitious as I was at first. My goal now (more than ever) is to eat healthy and nutritious foods. We try to abstain from most soy (unless it is organic and then it is a minimal intake), all hydrodginated oils, sugar, non-organic corn (due to GMOs), and unidentifiable ingredients. Going sugar free has opened my eyes to an entire new way of eating.

Food sensitivies/allergies.

I was listening to the radio and heard a holistic Dr talking about an IgG blood test used to test for food sensitives. Food sensitives are delayed food intolerance's and are not detected on the standard allergy test (IgE test). According to foodallergytest.org, 80% of the population have food sensitivities while only 5% have true allergies. WOW! 80%??? My chiro says over 2/3 of the population have a gluten sensitivity!! Seriously!?!?!

Since finding out my food sensitivities and avoiding them, I feel amazing! =)

Laundry soap!

I make my own laundry soap! It is extremely cost saving (about 2$ for 5 gallons) and works great!
I have been using it for about a year now. I thought I would share the recipe. I substitute dove soap for the Fels-Naptha because it is more gentle. The consistency of the soap is thinner than store bought-possibly because I substitute Dove soap.

Here is the recipe:
4 cups HOT water
1 bar Fels-Naptha
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soap (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup borax

Grate bar of soap into a sauce pan with hot water on medium/low heat. Continue to stir in soap until dissolved.
Fill 5 gallon bucket half full of hot water. Add all ingredients including dissolved soap. Stir until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with hot water and stir. Cover and let sit all night to thicken.

To use: fill old clean laundry container with 1/2 laundry soap and 1/2 water. Add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons if desired.

Makes 10 gallons. Use 5/8 cup per load or front load machines use 1/4 cup.

Note: I do not dilute (add water) to my laundry soap. I just use less. =)

HFCS and cancer!!!

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been linked to cancer. (Click on the word cancer to view the link), I knew cancer feeds on sugar but I found it even more interesting that cancer cell grow even faster with fructose! HFCS is in everything! I mean everything. It is amazing what you learn when you start reading labels. When we decided to go organic/natural one of the first things we eliminated was HFCS. We buy items without it or make from scratch.

Yet another reason to be sugar free. I knew there was a good reason I was sugar free in 2010.

Dairy Free.

I am now dairy free. I have a very annoying patch of eczema on the back of my scalp. I was tested (by my chiro using kinesiology) and I have a dairy sensitivity. I am adding dairy to my list of a foods I avoid. My sensitivities include: dairy, gluten, splenda, apples, grapes, almonds, peanuts, coffee, stevia, chia tea, oatmeal, strawberries, and mushrooms. I also avoid soy (most soy is GMO/ genetically modified), pork, and sugar (all forms).

Of all the food I avoid, dairy is by far the hardest for me to give up!! I LOVE cheese. =) I had a discussion with my chiro and dairy is basically reeking havoc on my immune system! I gave up dairy for an entire week (seemed much longer) and my eczema improved only a little. I was discouraged, but I since found out it can take up to a month. wow. =) So, I am on week two and I hope the eczema is gone in the next 2-3 weeks.

I am still sugar free and am trying to lose weight, however, I admit I have been slacking. My previous post about the detox diet lasted all of 5 days! My goal was 21 days. Consequently, I did not have a tremendous weight loss. I had also been exercising 5-6 days a week for 30+ minutes and I am now down to 2-3 times a week.

So, I am challenging myself to exercise more and loose 5lbs in the next 2 weeks. Eliminating dairy has severely limited the foods I can eat. I have not gained even an ounce without the added exercise. I believe if I step up the exercise and do not snack at night I will be able to loose the weight! I will keep posting.