A little something Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of truly GREEN things to wear on St. Patrick's Day. I would like to acquire more of it, as the color makes me feel more alive when I do wear the pieces I have. But I digress...

Today, as I was looking for something GREEN to wear, I remembered these earrings I crocheted back in college. I think the pattern was from a vintage Workbasket magazine that was for a toy but I adapted for...earrings.  They are rather big and rather....Carapacious(carapace being the back part of a turtle's shell).  But they're GREEN, so I'm putting them on today and wearing them with pride.

I wonder if the kids will notice?

Charlie's Laundry Soap - Day 1

 

I am always looking to save money. It's a sign of times, but I think it's also in the genes, lol.

My latest endeavor has been to find a cheaper way of cleaning clothes that did not exacerbate the  household's allergies and skin sensitivities.

I had tried Soap Nuts that I had purchased from the Amish general store called Lehman's (who, by the way, could use your business as they were freakishly flooded in the last month or so-online stores are open and I don't get anything from you buying), but my son's eczema came back and that was the only thing that I could think of that had changed. I switched back to the All Free & Clear and the eczema went away, so I'm thinking that was probably it. There are those who swear by the Soap Nuts, but they are not the answer for us. Your mileage may vary. :)

In the past, I have tried making my own laundry soap. I have tried the kind you heat on the stove and I have tried the powdered kind. For one thing, I can't handle the scent in the soaps meant for laundry soap (Fels Naptha and Zote) and when I used Ivory, I wasn't thrilled with the results in our hard water. Again, your mileage may vary. A friend of mine in this same area has great luck with it.

So, I finally came across Charlie's Soap.  I was a little turned off by the price of the little bags online(plus shipping) and didn't want to commit to a 1000 load bucket and find it didn't work for me. No savings there.

An online acquaintance was nice enough to dole some out for me to try for a few weeks.

I have found my new laundry soap! It cleans as well as, if not better than, the All F&C and the Purex F&C that I've been using, leaves no scent behind(I am the rare bird that can't stand fragranced clothes), AND did not exacerbate my son's eczema.


My most recent purchase of All F&C was at a Family Dollar, where the 32-load bottle was on sale for $4. That works out to about $.13/ load.

The Charlie's Soap I recently purchased on Amazon was $97.50 for 1000 loads, which works out to $.10/load.

Today is Day 1 of using it. I'm noting that here because that way I won't lose my note of it somewhere in my piles of notes to myself. And if the unthinkable happens and technology goes the way of the mastadon, I figure saving money on laundry soap will be the least of my worries. ;)


Rather than keeping the honking bucket in my laundry room/bathroom, I am reusing a Yankee Candle jar (from the good ol' days when I burned those regularly) and 32 loads fit perfectly in the jar. See the top of the rectangle I drew around my label? That's the line to refill later rather than counting 32 scoops.  The jar looks cute and fits better in my cupboard than the detergent bottles.

No more trips to the store for more laundry detergent (and accompanying unplanned impulse buys).

And no more detergent bottles to mess with recycling!

Here's a pic of my revamped laundry shelf (still trying to find the perfect thing for spot treatments...):

Man, I'm feeling GREEN today!

Why Yes, it Was the Xanthan Gum!

I am amazed at what the body tells you, if you stop and listen.  Of course, it helps to be pretty analytical and into details and connections too, lol.  I guess I am blessed with those interests in dealing with my health issues.  I seriously think that I would be much worse off if I wasn't so.....me. LOL

I went in today for an allergy appointment and sure enough, Xanthan Gum is a definite reaction-causing substance for my body.  Heh, the body doesn't lie, no matter how much we might be in denial about something....  The pure Xanthan Gum was a definite allergy-inducer, as was my Earl Gray/Lady Gray tea(from the corn-avoiding background, it's probably in the natural flavors or the adhesive in the bag) and the toothpaste that started this whole anti-Xanthan Gum thing. The plain black tea(that I drink every day) was fine.

For those who are unaware, Xanthan Gum is derived from fermented corn sugar (and ya'll might remember I have a history of corn allergy...do I sense a theme here?). According to WiseGeek, the name Xanthan Gum comes from the strain of bacteria grown on that fermented corn sugar, Xanthomonas campestris, and is the same strain of bacteria responsible for causing black rot on broccoli, cauliflower, and other leafy vegetables.

Yummy.

It is a thickening agent used in many products such as bottled salad dressings and sauces, fast food(might explain the reactions after the McDonald's run the last month or two ago...), in dairy products,  personal care products, and toothpaste, just to name a few. 


Hmm. Probably a good reason not to go the way of the highly-processed-gluten-free-diet. Or any highly-processed-food diet, for that matter.   Even though I got treated for it today, it's still going to be on my radar...

*sigh*





I posted previously about my problems with what I thought I had narrowed down to the Xanthan Gum. I'd also mentioned I am avoiding nightshades because I suspect I *still* am reacting to them(and am currently avoiding).

Yep, it was the nightshades, too. Simultaneous "Ugh!" and "Yay, I'm learning to listen to/trust my body's signals."

I am apparently the only patient who has had things crop up repeatedly after being treated (nightshades and corny derivatives). Not really something to be proud of, either...I'd really kind of rather get rid of the problems and go on with life, thank you very much.  But it seems that such is not my lot in life. For some reason, I think I am *supposed* to be thinking about what is our sustenance.

So...in the meantime, I am going to continue on the gluten-free, nightshade-free, (and Xanthan Gum-free for at least a few days more if not longer) elimination diet and continue to watch for changes. Perhaps, as my gut heals, so will my immune system response, and I will in turn quit reacting to the nightshades and other stuff that sneaks up on me when I am not so careful about what I eat.

It will be interesting, too, to see how my seasonal allergies do while I am gluten- and nightshade-free.

Something's Amiss...Trying Gluten-free

Be warned that this post has potential to be a bit TMI. When we're talking about allergy/sensitivity issues, things can get a bit...interesting.

I have been having...issues with *something* in my diet. As I have mentioned previously, the BioAllergenix has helped immensely in opening up most foods as allowable in my diet. With the exception of tomatoes--which I think is a genetic thing I just have to live with to some extent, but has gotten better with the treatments--just not cured.

The issues I have been having are basically a sore belly/gut. My digestive system, mostly my gut but there are clues(such as itching) that it's sometimes moved beyond that, is not happy. I've not had the classic symptoms of celiac(ie. I'm not having to run to the bathroom multiple times/day if you get my drift) but I do know that when I was trying to reintroduce wheat, I would have horrid heartburn issues, and I wonder if it's the culprit here with my gut.

I also found that my toothpaste, of all things, was attacking me. Over the course of a few weeks, the corners of my mouth were sore as all getout, leading to a coldsore(making me think my immune system was suffering), and I think possibly might have exacerbated the gut problems I have been having lately. I mean, the digestive system starts at the mouth...if this stuff was wreaking havoc there, what might it be doing where I couldn't see????

I have switched toothpaste and believe the component in the offending toothpaste that caused this is Xanthan Gum.  I have gotten the same response to some coffee mix in the past and compared ingredients and that is the one thing they shared in common....and I would get similar reaction to sauces and salad dressings....and upon inspection they all have xanthan gum.  At any rate, I'm not using any of those things now and my mouth feels *much* better.

I plan on going in for an allergy/chiro visit this week. We'll see if I was right about the xanthan gum.(which, by the way, is probably derived from Corn---please o please don't let the corn allergy come back full force!).

In the meantime, and the point of this post, I am eliminating the following from my diet for the rest of the month of March(considering doing it thru Lent, though I don't belong to a group that officially observes Lent--I did start avoiding on the first day of Lent!) and watching for improvement/change:
1. Tomatoes/nightshades
2. Gluten
3. Xanthan gum

I am still taking certain supplements:
1. Rainbow Prenatal Multivitamin(the one-a-day kind)
2. Probiotics
3. Digestive Enzymes(mostly if I feel the meal is going to bother me)
4. Evening Primrose Oil--for lovely PMS symptoms
5. Considering Calcium Bentonite clay, as I was given the go-ahead from the family doc, but think I should wait until this trial is over so I know if it's the elimination diet or the clay that works/doesn't work.

We'll see how it goes...

Listening for the Still Small Voice of God...

When was the last time you heard the still, small voice of God?

However useful a tool technology can be in this digital age, I personally find it very distracting, addictive, filling my mind continuously with a flow of information even when I am away from it (or as far as one can get from it these days). I liken it to the strong winds and the earthquake and the fire Elijah experienced in I Kings 19. Very "effective" and impressive and earth-shattering(pardon the pun)...but not what is needed in all circumstances.

Yet, here I am with another post. I suppose that, despite its drawbacks,  the internet is not entirely evil. ;) It does have its place.


Anyway, to the point of my post...

I find it hard to rest and be still and to hear the voice of God speaking to me. Maybe this is a personality thing, or maybe it's due to the busyness of life today.


When I *am* able to pry myself away and also find the time to actually be still(which can be a challenge while keeping the home fires burning), I find it much easier to hear Him. Sometimes that time is (sometimes annoyingly) 4AM.

What I have "heard" (not an audible voice, in case you are wondering) is that still small voice saying "feed the people".

Ok, God....

I haven't exactly figured out or been the told the specifics as of yet. But my husband has had similar nudges along the lines of being prepared...for *what* we are not certain.

I wonder if this is a "feed my lambs" sort of order as in John 21, where Jesus is asking Peter if he loves Him and tells him to feed His lambs/sheep. I find it interesting that just this morning I was reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and he is challenging me in my love for my Savior, much as Christ Himself challenged Peter.

Last night at Bible Study, our pastor taught on the Scriptures where Peter insisted he would not betray Christ. Something else to think about...

I don't think these things happen by chance, the correlation of what I feel the Lord is telling me, the message last night at Bible Study, and my opening this book this morning. The Lord is making me think and drawing me nearer to Him! :) May I be open to His teaching.


Perhaps we are to be feeding others spiritually(of course we are!), and for now our way of doing that is in raising our own children but also in leading/teaching Children's Church on Sundays and in my substituting when needed in Sunday School and Awana.

Another possible avenue is with music, which I am so often drawn to and find it is very soul-nourishing. I am currently using music in Children's Church, but am looking to "stretch" beyond that in the future if that's what the Lord has in store...

But I also feel there is more to it than that.  With my background and knowledge in food and the quality of it in the US(and elsewhere), I believe we should also take it literally. Especially with my and my husband's strong leanings toward sustainable living and growing organic foods. 

Again, trying to figure out the How, When, Where, etc.

I did get part of my seeds for this year and am making the garden plans soon. So, until I get further guidance, I'm obeying in what I know to do.

Prayers are appreciated as we listen and seek to obey Him.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 

Psalm 46:10