Homemade Toothpaste, Allergen-Free Chinese Orange Chicken & Homemade Remedies Featured in this Week's Healthy 2Day Wednesday Link-Up!

Welcome back to Healthy 2day Wednesdays! I am so excited to be joining these three amazing ladies in hosting every Wednesday:

• Day2Day Joys
• Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy
• and Christian Mommy Blogger (this is her last week co-hosting...)

Link up to any of our blogs with your favorite healthy post!

This week Nikki chose her favorite 3 submissions from last week's H2W.

I had so much fun reading through these entries, and I found some great new recipes! Here are my top 3:

Rediscovering old fashioned tooth powder using 3 simple ingredients...I swore I would stick with regular old toothpaste...no matter how natural I went. But something about this intrigues me? Check out The Gaia Health Blog for more info!

The SECOND I get my kitchen unpacked I am going to make this chicken. I LOVE Chinese Orange chicken. But with a gluten-free/dairy-free diet it was a no-go. Until now! Check out Real Food, Allergy Free for more info!

My girls are too little for most medication out there. This is a good time to perfect some homemade remedies...this may be my kickoff point! Check out Forgotten Domestic Arts for more info!

Since you were one of the three "chosen"... you've been Pinned, Facebooked and Tweeted by Nikki!!

Rules for this Link-Up:

• Share an idea, tip, recipe, things to avoid, something new to try, natural remedy, alternative medicine, going "green" tips, etc. that will help us to remain or become more healthy!
• If this is your first time participating read more info & get button here.
• Comment on another participant's post.
• Add button or link back to that day's link up.
• Spread the word so we can learn more ideas on keep our families healthy; feel free to share on Facebook or Twitter.
• Ideas: homebirths, natural remedies, an interesting article, something eco-friendly, a review, natural cleaner, alternative or holistic approaches to health, how to's, the list goes on & on!
• If you are adding a recipe, make sure the ingredients do not include white flour, refined sugar, processed products, packages products (unless it is clearly stated or pictured that it is organic or all natural) and the like. We are looking for whole food recipes that are beneficial to our health!

If you're not participating today, I hope you'll come back & join in next week!

Adopting a Corn-Free Diet {What *Are* You Eating?}

Today, we continue our series on the hidden additives that make their way into the food we eat every day. Last week, we heard from Brandy, who gave us a look at the dangers of aspartame. This series is not meant to condemn but to encourage and educate you to make wise choices about what you put into your body!

Image by wolframburner

By Christy, Contributing Writer
I was in shock. The list of a dozen foods the allergist said to eliminate from my daughter's diet was in complete opposition to my simple "everything in moderation" philosophy. 


Nevertheless,we were willing to do anything for our girl, so goodbye moderation, hello elimination!


Because we were eating some processed foods, the hardest aspect was going corn free. Eliminating or reducing corn in the diet involves more than avoiding corn as a vegetable on your dinner plate. Corn is in everything, and I'm only slightly exaggerating. Still, it does not always have to be as difficult as this shell-shocked mama initially thought.


Let's see what you can eat when corn is a dietary concern.


For the allergic:
If you suffer from a corn allergy, you do not necessarily have to eliminate all corn. Most
corn allergies are to the corn protein. Therefore, according to our nutritionists, clean corn oil, corn
starch, and similar corn byproducts will probably not affect you.

Image by vancouver-bites

If the allergy is to the entire corn kernel, you will need to avoid all corn-related products, including packaging and personal care products. (Discuss this with a knowledgeable specialist or try a
temporary elimination to see how your body reacts.)


For those with digestive concerns:
The outer casing of the corn is not easily digested, so those with inflammatory bowel issues often need to eliminate abrasive corn products temporarily. Staying away from corn, popcorn, and cornmeal products may be about as far as you need to go during an intestinal flare-up. (Check with your gastroenterologist regarding your personal issues.)


If you are on GAPS or a similar healing diet, you will need to eliminate all corn byproducts. Yup,
all of 'em. We did, and, trust me, you will survive this!


For those concerned with genetically modified food:
Over 80% of the corn products in America are genetically modified. There are currently no
laws requiring producers to label their products as GMO, so seek out labels that say GMO-free or
non-GMO if you are concerned. Organic products, while still at risk for cross-contamination, are
generally safe, so eat hearty!

Image by waytru

If you feel it is necessary to completely eradicate corn from your diet, become a vigilant label reader. Obviously, anything with corn syrup, corn oil, corn starch, cornmeal, grits, maize, and similar corn products should be avoided. Less conspicuous are products such as maltodextrin, citric acid, MSG, baking powder, and natural flavors, which may or may not contain
or be derived from corn. Because there is no way of knowing what the additives are made of, you will have to eliminate them entirely.


So...what's left to eat?


If you cook as much of your food from scratch as possible, you will naturally avoid most
corn byproducts. Seriously, who stocks maltodextrin and “natural flavors” in the pantry?


Replace corn products with similar items. Use arrowroot powder or potato starch instead of
corn starch. Opt for honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup. 


While lending a slightly different flavor, freshly ground wheat often gives the same homey texture that corn meal provides. Coconut and olive oils are healthier alternatives to corn oil. Buy or make a corn-
starch free baking powder. 


How does a person begin the corn-free journey?
Unless you are facing a crisis situation, adopt the tortoise's sensible life philosophy rather
than the hare's bust-a-lung approach. Slow and steady wins the race.


Applying that to going corn-free, replace one corn-based product, such as corn syrup, with
homemade or corn-free alternatives. Once that is second nature--and don't worry, it will be--
move on to another, such as corn starch.


Because corn is in most processed foods in America, eliminating corn will result in a highly whole foods, natural diet. That's a silver, corn-free lining if ever there was one!


Are you on a corn-free diet? What is your biggest struggle?


(I am in no way a medical expert. I am merely the parent of a child with allergies and digestive
issues. My desire in this article is to share a simpler approach to an often overwhelming
situation.)


I'm linking up with: The Prairie Homestead, Works for Me Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable,  Deep Roots at Home, Live Renewed,  Simple Lives Thursday,Women Living Well,  Monday Mania, Real Food 101, Traditional Tuesday ,Fat Tuesday,Real Food Wednesday,Fight Back Friday, Fresh Bites Friday,Living Well Blog Hop, The Nourishing Gourmet


Want to make real food easier? Check out my new book! 

Christy writes about simplifying life at The Simple Homemaker. Once weighed down by unrealistic expectations and life's overwhelming demands, Christy has learned to throw off the complications of life and find joy in the little things.  Christy and her contemporary Christian musician husband, Stephen Bautista, homeschool their 7 children, ages brand new to 15.  The family tours the country for the music mission and works together on a home business.  

Everyday Opportunities: Gramma's Passing

Last week, my husband’s grandmother passed away. She was 88, and we had been expecting it for about a month. It still wasn’t easy. 

My husband grew up in the same tiny Mississippi town as his entire extended family. 

While my aunts and uncles and grandparents stretched out from Virginia to Georgia to Missouri to even as far away as Kenya, Africa (during the years my aunt an uncle were missionaries), his childhood was filled with swigging sweet tea on Gramma’s front porch and trekking through the woods with his sister and seven cousins, some of whom still call Mississippi home. 

We headed to the Deep South for the funeral the day after Gramma died. The trip is 11 to 12 hours each way. We braced ourselves for how the girls--now 3 1/2 and 1--would do on the trip. 

They did fine, sleeping or watching movies most of the way. And I entertained myself with a book while he drove down I-85 through Atlanta to I-20 through Birmingham, and we finally made our way to little, ol’ Batesville, Miss. 

We were able to stay a week. It was a whirlwind family reunion of sorts. The doctor cousin drove in from Texas, the lawyer flew in from California and the professor from Oklahoma had driven in two days before Gramma died. Gramma’s hoarse utterance of her name was one of her last words, and the professor lay by her bedside as dear Gram took her last breath. 

I watched the next generation of cousins play--and wondered how in the world we’d explain to our 3 1/2 year old why Gramma lay there “sleeping” while the rest of us hovered round in the funeral home. Of course, she had only met her a handful of times during our yearly visits, so she honestly didn’t remember her. 

We told her Gramma was in Heaven with Jesus now, but her body was still here, and we needed to say goodbye. After the funeral service, we drove to the cemetery, but I stayed in the van with the girls as my husband got out to pay his last respects. 

After about 30 minutes, our little girl finally said: “Mommy, why is Daddy taking SO long to say goodbye to his grandma?!” 

I got a little laugh out of that one. From the mouth of babes: Gramma was already gone, having been with Jesus these past three days, but Daddy, well Daddy had to say goodbye...for Daddy. 

And when we passed by the cemetery later in the week, she pointed from the van window and said: “Look, Daddy--that’s where your grandma’s body is!” 

I wonder if she will remember. When she’s older, I wonder if she will look back to her first funeral and remember: watching her great-grandmother “sleeping,” running around the funeral home with her cousins, seeing her Daddy cry for the first time...

Despite the long nights during the infant years, the battles that the “terrible twos” bring and the challenges of potty training, sometimes I think parenting when they are too little to understand the heavier things in life is perhaps the easiest season of parenting after all. 

When we arrived back in Mooresville this weekend, I opened up a cabinet in our kitchen and dusted off an old spiral-bound notebook I hadn’t looked at in years: “Gramma’s Recipes.” 

It was a belated wedding gift--page after page of hand-written recipes. 

“Dear Will and Erin, This may be a recipe book that you’ll never use, but in years to come it may become a treasure to you. You will learn something about your past--about your great-great grandmother, your great grandmother and me. Know that my love for you two is found written in the recipes in this book. God Bless, Gramma-Feb.-March 2007” (We married in July 2005.)

A treasure, yes--for Will, for me and for our girls. They may not remember meeting Gramma, they may not even remember her funeral one day, but they will “remember” her through the pages of her recipe book. 

*This post first appeared in the Mooresville Weekly newspaper.*


I'm linking up with: Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Time-Warp Wife and Raising Homemakers,  Deep Roots at Home, Homemakers Challenge, The Better Mom, Raising Mighty Arrows, Women Living Well, Homemaker's Cottage

A Comparison of Birth Settings: Home, Hospital and Birthing Center Births

Today starts a new series, "A Natural Phenomenon: Having a Natural Birth in an Unnatural World." Like all of my posts, this series is meant to educate and encourage and not to discourage or condemn you for your choices when it comes to birthing. I hope we can all learn together through this series!

Photo used with permission by Intentional by Grace

I am thrilled to announce a months-long series that I will be posting on during the remainder of my pregnancy: "A Natural Phenomenon: Having a Natural Birth in an Unnatural World." 


During the series, we will focus on preparing yourself for a natural birth in a hospital setting (because that's where I birth!), but we will also have guest posts on birthing center and home births! 

My first labor was anything but natural, but I worked to prepare myself for a natural labor the second time around, and I was so happy to birth with no pain meds! (And really found the labor itself and recovery period much better for me personally.)


Today, I'm posting about different birth settings over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:



With all this talk of birthing babies around here at Keeper of the Home, I asked Stephanie if I could compare three common birth settings: home, hospital and birthing center births.*


Whereas a home birth may seem the most natural choice for natural mamas, all three settings have their pros and cons and should be compared, evaluated and prayed through thoroughly before making a decision on where to birth your baby. 

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home to read the rest of this post! 

I'm linking up with: The Prairie Homestead, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Time-Warp Wife and Raising Homemakers,  Works for Me Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable,  Deep Roots at Home, The Better Mom, Raising Mighty Arrows,  Live Renewed,  Simple Lives Thursday, Women Living Well, Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesday, Homemaker's Cottage,Living Well Blog Hop

Homemade Bread Crumbs {Homemade Homemaking}

This month's Homemade Homemaking recipe is for bread crumbs. It's SO incredibly easy that, after you try it, you'll wonder why in the world you never thought of this before! 


(Or, maybe you have...maybe I was the only one buying bread crumbs from the store!)


When we first married, I used bread crumbs--a lot. I used them to top the cream-of-chicken soup casseroles I baked almost every night. I used them on my hubby's favorite "almost"-fried chicken tenders. And I even used them on veggie dishes like my mom's cheesy green bean casserole. 


Then, one day...oh, about a year ago or so, I looked at the ingredients label. And I shuddered. 


MSG. Soybean oil. And the list could go on. 


I tossed those bread crumbs out, looked at a loaf of bread and wondered: "How hard could this be?"


It's not! Really, it's so easy!


Without further ado, here's this month's recipe for homemade bread crumbs!


Ingredients

• 1 loaf of bread
• 1 stick butter
• salt and pepper, to taste
• parsley or other seasonings, to taste (if you want seasoned bread crumbs)

Method

1. Chop loaf of bread very finely in chopper or food processor. (You can leave the crumbs chunkier if you like bigger, chunkier bread crumbs. I like them like this. My hubby does not. Hence, I chop mine finely.)

2. Melt butter in a stock pot. Add bread crumbs. 

3. Quickly stir to coat bread crumbs in butter. Keep stirring until the sound of the coated bread crumbs starts to sound like sand on the beach. (I know this sounds strange, but, trust me, you will get it once you try this.)

4. Sprinkle desired amount of salt, pepper and other seasonings on bread crumbs. Store in an airtight container. 

These crumbs will keep in your pantry for months--and you know exactly what's in them! No additives here--especially if you use Stacy's homemade honey oat bread to make them!

Have you ever made homemade bread crumbs? What's your favorite recipe?

Congrats to Bobby N Kierra for winning Smart Sweets! 

I'm linking up with: The Prairie Homestead, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Time-Warp Wife and Raising Homemakers,  Works for Me Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable,  Deep Roots at Home, Homemakers Challenge, The Better Mom, Raising Mighty Arrows,  Live Renewed,  Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Friday, Women Living Well,  Monday Mania, Real Food 101, Traditional Tuesday ,Fat Tuesday, Make Your Own Monday, Real Food Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Homemaker's Cottage, Fight Back Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Food, Living Well Blog Hop

Aspartame: Why Sugar Free Foods Could Cost You Your Health {What *Are* You Eating?}

 Today, we begin a new series on the hidden additives that make their way into the food we eat every day. This series is not meant to condemn but to encourage and educate you to make wise choices about what you put into your body!

Artificial Sweeteners (Splenda doesn't contain aspartame)

By Brandy, Contributing Writer

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of “food products” on the market today that are either labeled sugar free or no sugar added. To many people, that sounds like a good thing. But let me assure you, it most likely is not.

Most of these products contain artificial sweeteners, the most common of which is
aspartame.

For those who may not know, I was diagnosed with Type 1 (Insulin Dependent) Diabetes when I was 2
years old (almost 28 years ago). For this reason, the topic of artificial sweeteners is especially important
to me.

So many people are unknowingly poisoning themselves because they have been told that they are actually doing something healthy. I am here to be a whistle blower and tell you that aspartame has no place in anyone’s diet.

Artificial Sweeteners (Splenda doesn't contain aspartame)

WHAT IS ASPARTAME?
Aspartame is the most commonly used calorie free sweetener on the market. It is almost always the
sweetener used in diet drinks including diet soft drinks, Kool-Aid, juices, crystal light, etc., and is in most other sugar free/no sugar added products, such as pudding, ice cream, yogurt, popsicles, and so on.
It can also be found in the little pink and blue packets as nutra sweet or equal. Most importantly, it
is, quite simply, a poison; a neurotoxin (or excitotoxin) that has been shown to damage the human neurological system in ways that can be, quite frankly, horrific.

WHAT DOES ASPARTAME DO IN THE BODY?
An excitotoxin is a substance that causes the nerves to fire over and over again until they eventually
wear out. It “excites” the neurological system when there is no reason for it to be stimulated.
Aspartame has been shown to cause , headaches, dizziness, vertigo, migraines, brain tumors, seizures, tinnitus, numbness in the legs, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, blurred vision, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, and more.

It has also been linked to neuropathy and retinopathy, which are the two most common complications associated with diabetes. Coincidence? I think not!

Aspartame poisoning (yes, there is a medical diagnosis for aspartame poisoning) has even manifested itself with symptoms that mimic
multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other auto-immune diseases.

Yeah…are you starting to wonder why on
earth it was ever allowed in our food in the first place?
We all know that most foods (or food-like substances) change entirely as they go through our digestive
system.

When aspartame is ingested, it is broken down into metabolites. Two of these metabolites are…are you ready for this?...formaldehyde and ethyl alcohol (ethanol)! Yes, you read that right.
Formaldehyde is what we preserve dead bodies with. Wikipedia says this of formaldehyde, “In view of
its widespread use, toxicity and volatility, exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for
human health.

On 10 June 2011, the US National Toxicology Program has described formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen." And Wikipedia defines ethanol as a “volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs.”

Isn’t that nice? I would bet that most people sipping on their Diet Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero don’t really understand what they are putting in their bodies. And if they did, I HOPE they would immediately throw it in the trash!

Image by lisapizza

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND PREGNANCY

When I was pregnant with my second, I was given a packet of information about pregnancy from my
OB/GYN. It contained pamphlets and print outs with recommendations for all sorts of things regarding
being pregnant.

Imagine my horror when I got to the one that said that up to 2 diet drinks per day were perfectly safe for mommies to be!!

Aspartame is especially dangerous during pregnancy. Excitotoxins cross the placental barrier and are absorbed into the baby's blood. Studies have shown that it actually becomes 4 times more potent
in the baby's blood than in the mother's. Based on what you've already read, you can imagine that a
baby's developing brain and nervous system could be greatly affected by these toxins. I beg you, if you
are pregnant or trying to conceive, DO NOT eat or drink products made with these toxins!

HOW WAS ASPARTAME DISCOVERED?
This is actually kind of a funny story. Would you believe that aspartame was discovered by accident?!
That’s right. A scientist who was formulating a new anti-ulcer drug accidentally spilled a substance
from a test tube on the counter. He apparently got some on his finger at some point and then, when he
licked his finger to turn a page in a book, noticed something sweet.

Hmmm…he must have thought, “If it tastes sweet, I bet we can eat it!” Even though trial after
trial showed monkeys and rats developing brain tumors and cancer, it still was passed as “safe” for consumption in 1981 (only a few years prior to my diagnosis).

I often wonder if the drug that was being tested during aspartame’s discovery was ever approved…

WHAT SWEETNERS CAN I USE?
As I mentioned above, I have lived with insulin dependent diabetes for almost 28 years. I am so thankful that my parents never pushed diet/sugar free foods on me, and even though I had no knowledge of their harmful effects, I never took a liking to them.

I am a huge proponent of using real food, the way
God created it. In our household we use raw honey, organic maple syrup, and stevia to sweeten just about anything that needs it. When baking, I occasionally use unrefined organic sugar.

To read more about my personal story with diabetes and how I use real food to manage it, please visit this post at Kitchen Stewardship, 6 Steps To A Real Food Diabetes Diet.

Because I use whole food ingredients in just about everything I make, my blood sugars are not
affected like they would be by processed foods.

It takes very little raw honey or maple syrup to
sweeten things, and when combined with whole grains and wholesome fats, such as coconut oil (more on coconut oil here), the carbohydrates are absorbed much more slowly into the blood stream. Stevia
(a natural herbal sweetener) is calorie free, but does not carry the terrible side effects that aspartame
does!

Those with diabetes (Type 1 or 2), of course, need to use moderation when consuming carbs or sugars
of any kind, but natural sugars and whole foods break down differently in the body than their refined
counterparts.

For some recipes that I consider to be diabetic friendly and health promoting, please visit my Recipes section.

IN CONCLUSION
I hope that you have been educated, empowered, and enlightened by this post and that if you or
someone you love uses artificial sweeteners, you (or they) will be prompted to stop today!

I would like to point out that MSG(Monosodium Glutamate, which is a common food additive) is also an excitotoxin.
For more information on these harmful substances and how to recognize and avoid them, please visit
this post, Stop Poisoning Yourself!! Aspartame and MSG. Also, you may want to visit this recent postby Katie at Kitchen Stewardship about aspartame.


Sources: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/15/aspartame-side-effects.aspx, http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

Brandy is a full-time homemaker, has been married to the love of her life for 7 years, and is the mommy of two amazing little boys. The two most important things in her life are her relationships with God and her family.  She is living the abundant life with her wonderful husband and sons and is constantly learning how to walk in the fullness of the promises of God.Her mission is to share the message of health and wellness according to the Word of God and traditional wisdom! She blogs at Living Water Health and Wellness. 

*Disclaimer: Neither Brandy nor I are health professionals, and any health decision you make should be after conducting your own research. My family (Erin) cannot currently afford raw milk, and it is illegal to sell it in my state. 

Traditional Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Women Living Well, Healthy 2Day Wednesdays, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Live Renewed, Fight Back Friday, Living Well Blog Hop, The Prairie Homestead, Growing Home, Raising Homemakers,  Frugally Sustainable,  Deep Roots at Home, Homemakers Challenge, The Better Mom,  Monday Mania, Real Food 101