Throwing It Back Thursday

Happy New Year to you all. I have been on some kind of a hiatus. I know. 2015 was rough. I made it though. 2016 is the year of the milestone for our family. We have 2 boys graduating. One going to college one to the Navy. One daughter turning 16, one 13. Daddy turns 70, hubby 40. Lots of changes on the way and I am embracing all the changes.

I think I have created a journal for every project I have in store. I DID complete my certification Fitness Nutrition and Personal Training. What is around the corner? Just stay tuned here.

I still have Lyme. Sorry. I'm learning to manage the symptoms though. Dealing with the effects as they happen. I will not get into all of that at this time, for that's not what this post is about.

When I first started my blog I had every intention of it being solely focused on my fight with Lyme, but I have found that there is such a need and thirst in the community for encouragement and I want to be that light. I want to be the hope. Allow you in my life. Yes, I have a disease. I have days that are like death, but it makes the days that I'm well like being on top of the world. I'll be allowing you into my life more on a manageable aspect. Some people don't give any F's. Well, I give a lot. Faith. Family. Friends. Food. Fitness. Focus. So here is to a reFRESHing new year and here is my throwback for Thursday.

We are a blended family. I have my 2 from a previous marriage and his 3 from his. My children's father is remarried. There were defiantly road bumps in the begining. Anger, jealousy, miscommunication. You name it. The norm. I got to a point where I had to let it all go. The step-mom doesn't know this. I do not even know if she reads this or ever has. So here goes my confession. Almost to the date last year I made it my reso to be kind. Let IT go. Whatever it was. Not let people or small stuff get to me. I was faced with my first test. I was on my way to one of my daughter's first high school soccer games and stopped by our local Starbucks drive through. As I pulled away I saw her. The step-mom in line. Tap tap tap on my shoulder. Dangit. Okay. I gotchya. I parked. I ran in. I explained to the barista that the woman in the Kia....whatever she was ordering, I was paying for. BUT I needed to hurry up, because I did NOT want her to see me. I never said a word about it. When I handed over my payment, I handed over any hurt, anger, resentment, jeoulsy, ill feelings with my money.  Never looked back.

Here we are a year later. My daughter just experienced her first heartbreak. I have cried I think as much as her just watching her hurt. Last night was her night to stay with her dad. She was with me while her breakup happened. I explained to her step-mom what happened. I couldn't even manage to call her because I had been crying so much. She called me and with tears in her voice informed me she was on her way over with my daughter's bags and wanted to know what we wanted from Starbucks. A year later.

Healing doean't happen over night. It doesn't happen the way we always want it to. Sometimes we have to keep our eyes and hearts open and accept it when it does happen. 

I've never regretted the chances I've taken. Only the ones I never took.

Savvy Spring Containers (dollar store project)

I am ready for spring already! The warmth is welcoming to joint pain and cold blood.  This has been a very cold winter for even the Gulf Coast and it isn't over yet! I'm a little more among the land of the living the past few weeks. Reasons for the quietness on the blog. I am slowly catching up. When I first started blogging, I had a different page. My focus shifted to this one, and I'm doing good to keep up with what day it is and when the last time I shaved my pits or washed my hair was right now let alone 2 blogs. I have hopes to blend the 2 of them together. This is after all a blog about living with Lyme as a wifey and mama. So, the following may look familiar to some of you. With Spring right around the corner (sike. it's gonna be 35 degrees Thursday), I know I'm ready for flowers and fresh herbs. This project is something anyone can easily afford to do while waiting for the Earth's axis to begin it's tilt towards the sun. 

The containers and foam letters were picked up at Dollar Tree. Herbs and spray paint at Lowes. 

The plain container was found in the garden/floral section.

In the craft section was a bunch of sticky foam letters.

Stick these lil babies on spelling out whatever you are wanting. 

Spray paint the whole container. DO NOT forget to
drill a few holes in the bottom for water drainage.

So pretty!

Drinking Your Calories (Juicing and Liquid Diets)

Juicing and green drinks seems to be the craze right now. Do you know this person? I'm guilty as charged. I think when they made this video I was their inspiration. 

A couple of years ago I did a 21 day detox.  The first part was a 3 day juice followed by 18 days of fruits and vegetables.  I already have adapted a gluten-free lifestyle, so the adjustment of giving up all of the processed foods and simple carbs wasn't a huge hurdle for me. More recently, I did (and will be repeating once a month for as long as I can) a 10 day green smoothie detox. With this being the beginning of the year, I know there are a lot of you looking to jump start your diet or you are looking for a healthier you.  Nutrition is key. As someone with sensitivities, I pay dearly when I eat poorly. By poorly, I mean breads, pasta, sweets, soda, iced tea, too much dairy.  I may not be taking in enough calories right now due to total lack of appetite with this current flair, and that is a different subject for a different day. It is the weekend and I do not feel like being judged on something I preach. So, do as I say not as I do and we will be BFF's foreva.

So, what are the benefits of liquid diets? I found that by slowly eliminating certain foods from my diet that I rid my body of wanting them.  I see a reduction in water retention, re-flux and or heartburn, cramps, clearer skin, you may even notice inflammation relief and better sleep.  You will see a typical weight loss of probably 5-10 lb so that's a bonus right? The gut gets a much needed break from breaking down all of those solids. Nutrition is immediately delivered to the right places in our body and we are able to quickly release what is not needed.

So, which do I prefer? Well they both allow you to eat. The 21 day can not be modified. You have to stick to the exact diet. The first 3 days can be a challenge since you are juicing every meal. When juicing you also lose a lot of the fibrous nutrients and some of the vitamins found in the skins or meal of our fruits and veggies. Juicing is strictly keeping the liquid and spitting out the rest of the fruit or vegetable. When blending.......you are retaining the key nutrients and it is also helping you to stay fuller longer. Now, the 21 day detox, you only juice for the first 3 days and then you are on a vegetarian diet the next 18 days. The 10 day detox you are drinking at least 2 out of 3 meals. I found the 10 day easier to stick to and the husband even participated.

Equipment needed for juicing? A juicer. Can be messy too. Equipment needed for green smoothies? A Nutribullet (although it may take a little while to mix it all up due to the size) or a high powered blender. I use a ninja. Vitamix is also recommended.

Pinterest also has a plethora of tips and recipes.

PLEASE NOTE , when juicing DO NOT use the apple seeds.  Apple seeds when ingested are known to release Cyanide into the body.

21 Day Detox-

3 Day Juice Recipe

5 carrots
1/2 green apple
4 oz (hand full) spinach
4 oz parsley
1/2 red beet 
1 cucumber
(1/2 lemon, slice of ginger root, or walnuts may be added for flavor)

For 3 days drink 16-24 oz 3 times a day as a meal replacement.
Drink lots of water. You may juice as often as necessary. 

The next 18 days consume fruits and vegetables. A boiled egg per day may be consumed for protein. No dairy, no alcohol, no sugar or sugar substitutes, no coffee, sodas, etc...Herbal teas may be consumed. 8-10 glasses of water a day (or just water jug chug). Olive oil and vinegar for salad dressing. Feel free to add lemon, lime, cucumber, and mint to your water. This helps aid in flushing. 


10 Day Green Smoothie Detox-

This is a PDF and due to the fact that it was given to me, I only email copies of this out. It is 100% free. No catch. I promise. If you are interested in obtaining it from me, you can just email me Here 


I'm happy for the weekend. Tomorrow is not only Valentine's Day, but also my 6th Anniversary. I'm very blessed to be celebrating love day with him. He is my rock. My biggest support and fan. The days I think I can't make it or I cannot walk, he is there to literally carry me. He has sacrificed more than I ever have or will deserve. He is who tells me "Yes you can." when I say "No I can't." I love him so.

Claritin Sees Profits Skyrocket

I'm sure most of the Lyme community has by now seen the article discussing the study conducted involving Claritin. If you missed it you can click HERE to read it.

Now, I'm not going to run out and load up on loratadine just yet, but if they are looking to move past the test tube and are ready to study the effects on people, then I'll be your Huckleberry.

What I do predict is a super-loratadine in the future. I have already shared this thought with some of my fellow Lymies. Claritin is currently OTC (over the counter). Well, that isn't going to work for the pharmaceutical and insurance companies. After all, they are the ones who have made it damn near impossible for a Lyme patient to acquire affordable treatment.

Basically, the loratadine causes blockers which causes the bacteria to starve.
I currently attempt to starve the pesky bacteria by not consuming gluten and sugars. My love for (and the 12 bottles that my husband has shipped to us every 3 months) of red wine and the occasional pizza sometimes gets in the way of that.  Who doesn't love a little fatness in their life from time to time?

In other news: Spring needs to be on it's way. My tree in my front yard is full of budding little pollen balls. There has been sunshine the past few days. Allowing me to get out and move a little more. Although, there was a report of us falling back into the 30's next week. I'm over it already. I don't cry over spilled milk, but I did cry over the cold front approaching. I'm becoming quite cantankerous.
I feel like I'm just banging my head against the brick now. Not only am I having to live day to day. So does my family. It's all we are given though right?

This post is going to be short today. Almost as short as my tolerance has become. So in closing. I was scrolling through my Instagram a bit ago and another Lymie posted a picture and it reminded me to address it. Peeps, doctors, and countrymen.....it is called Lyme. NOT Lyme's. It is not possessing anything except my body. It is not named after someone. Just Lyme.