Momma's got a new Biz

Actually it's two businesses in one!  First of all I am happy to announce that the reason I have been MIA lately is because I have been studying, learning and getting certified in Health and Wellness coaching.  I got this certificate from Dr. Josh Axe, after taking his 8 week course, Institute for Nutritional Leadership.  Then I had to build a website and find a product that I would use for my clients.   So without further ado... I present to you my new businesses... (drum roll please)

Feel free to visit my website and check out the new business!  aliciatrottercoaching.my.canva.site

 Now on to the second business that is also part of the Health Coaching biz as well...(another drum roll please) the product I chose to use with my clients is Plexus Worldwide.  Why did I choose this company?  Well if you know me, then you will know that I do not do anything without researching and really looking into every possible aspect of it.  This company is top notch first off, and secondly they have a product that is all natural, non GMO and gluten free.  Their prices are reasonable and even cheaper than some brands that I have used in the past.  The thing that makes me the most happy is that the products combine several things I was already taking which made me really happy because I'm all about simple.  And since my business name includes the word "simple" in it, I needed a product that was simple as well. For example the probiotic they have also has digestive enzymes in there too!  A great product in one that supports digestive health!  Want to find out what other products they offer, visit my product website where you can shop and order today.  There are 3 ways to buy, retail, preferred and wholesale.  Retail is full price, preferred is like setting up your Amazon auto monthly ship where you get a bit of a discount for doing so, and wholesale is like being a member of Costco.  Pay a cheap yearly fee and buy products at wholesale.  So visit the website and cruise around to see what products you think might work for you!  I'll also be writing more articles on the products and what I have seen them do in my life and those family members and friends who also use the products!

aliciatrotter.myplexusproducts.com

I'd love your feed back too so let me know what you think! 

Feeling a little under the weather?

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My husband tends to get a sinus infection at least 3-4 times a year.  He is not patient enough to let the natural home remedies work, so he usually runs to the clinic and gets a shot.  Well, it's that time of year for him to get sick again, and he is actually worse than the kids about covering his mouth when he coughs or sneezes.  The kids have been saying, "Dad, Cover!"  I am the one who usually never gets sick, but when I do, it seems to linger for quite some time!  So as I am shipping my sick hubby off to Iowa for a week long hunting trip, guess what he left behind for me?  Yep, that's right, his sinus cold!  I guess when you kiss someone daily and your toothbrush is in the same drawer and they do not cover their cough, and you sleep in the same bed face to face with them, eventually you will get sick too. 
Friday night was rainy here and we had our annual downtown Christmas event that supports our small town businesses.  So naturally I threw on my rain jacket and boots and the girls and I went out shopping!  Then Saturday morning I woke up with a sore throat!  I took 1 tsp SOLE Himalayan sea salt in 4 oz water and the soreness was immediately gone!  Thank goodness for that!  Then I took 1 tsp of colloidal silver holding it under the tongue  for 30 seconds before swallowing. Throughout the day I sipped on chicken broth infused with fresh garlic and red pepper flakes.  Feeling much better I went to bed at a decent hour feeling confident I would be all better in the morning.  However, I woke Sunday with some serious sinus pressure that was so bad my upper jaws hurt up into my eye sockets and my forehead.  Talk about a MAJOR headache!  I immediately went to my herbal stash and pulled out the chamomile and brought a pot of water to a boil.  With a few drops of tea tree essential oil and a handful of chamomile flowers, I placed a lid on the boiling pot and removed it from the heat.  After 2-3 minutes, I removed the lid and placed a towel over my head and breathed in the steam through my nose.  Long slow inhale to fill the sinuses completely.  Chamomile is a natural sinus healer.  After doing that for about 5 minutes, I felt a little relief.  I repeated this steam again every 2 hours until the pressure was gone.  Taking more colloidal silver 3 times a day and drinking the broth as often as I felt like, I also drank a cup of Echinacea tea.  Trying to rest and save all my energy for healing.  Being sick is never fun, so hopefully I can nip this in the bud in the next day or two!  When doing natural healing, the key is catch it early and be diligent! 

 

Build your own gourmet salad at home for much less

A greek gourmet salad at home

 

I know it sounds weird, but I hate to eat lunch!  Most people hate to eat breakfast, but I find that I struggle with lunch!  My kids are creatures of habit and tend to eat the same things day after day.  I do not like to eat the same thing 2 times in a row.  My husband jokes that in the 12 years we have been together I have never cooked the same thing twice.  This is not entirely true, but I probably only have 5-8 things I will cook more than once.  I love food and recipes and am always creating new ones to try and share.  I get bored easily so I like variety! 

I buy my veggies from a local farm at the farmers market once a week.  They are an organic and non-GMO farm and provide my family with more than enough veggies to feed us for a week!  Pictured is my salad that is my "go to" lunch when I need to pack something while I am on the go! 

 

Gourmet salad recipe:

Lettuce of your choice (preferably not iceberg because it does not have any nutritional value)

cucumber sliced

bell pepper diced

grilled chicken shredded

feta cheese crumbled

artichoke hearts chopped (I have a artichoke spread I buy at Trader Joes that I love and it's what's pictured here)

black olives

salt and pepper to taste

homemade dressing (optional)

 

*the dressing I like to make that's quick and easy is:

olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried parsley flakes, lemon juice

combine and shake well 

 

 

 

 

Are you "weight loss resistant"?

What is "weight loss resistance" you may be wondering?!?  It is basically where you can NOT loose weight no matter how hard you try.  You are eating right, working out, and nothing is happening, in fact you may even be gaining weight instead!  This is a problem that affects about 70% of the population and it is under the umbrella of Auto Immune. 

I wrote a post a little bit ago about Auto Immune and what it even is.  http://trottingthrulife.blogspot.com/2014/09/autoimmune-problems-what-does-it-even.html
I talked about my ups and downs with health and eventually becoming weight loss resistant.  At the time of the post, I was doing a SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) detox.  What this did was KILL off all the bacteria in my gut, both good and bad.  It was pretty intense as I was very limited to what I could eat because carbs and fiber feed all kinds of bacteria and make it multiply and grow.  How did I know I had bad bacteria in my gut?  I had previously worked with a Nutritional Therapist and she did a stool sample on me to see what was going on in there.  This is how we initially found out.  I took an all natural anti-microbial for 3 months to kill the bad guys off, but they just came back.  So after learning more about bad bacteria and how it grows, it was necessary to eliminate the carbs and fiber and take the supplements all together in order to truly get the bad guys gone!  Some people can rid their bodies of this in 15 days, however my body was stubborn and it took 30 days.  After those 30 days were over, I was able to reintroduce carbs in the form of veggies.  I did this in very small amounts and did not take the extra supplement of fiber this time!
Also while doing this 30 days of detox, I made sure to consume plenty of healthy fats. I did this in the form of "bulletproof" coffee and "fat bombs".  http://trottingthrulife.blogspot.com/2014/09/eating-fat-to-burn-fat.html  Which believe it or not, my body actually started burning fat again and I lost 11 pounds! 
Now I am on the phase of healing the individual cells through a "CORE cellular healing" program.  You can look this up by doing a Google search of Dr. Pompa.  He's the guy who developed this program.  There are plenty of you tube videos also where he explains everything in great detail.  It really does make sense! 
So as of today...I am on my second round of the CORE supplements, feeling great, and working towards healing my individual cells.  My heavy metals test revealed that I still had some in my system that were in the yellow, Aluminum & Mercury to name the top 2.  There were some other ones too but not commonly known.  I have 2 silver fillings and I am meeting with a holistic dentist on Nov 17 to have a consultation about having those properly removed and replaced.  This will help because those fillings are constantly leaching out into our system making our cells inflamed and when the body is inflamed that's when diseases thrive!  This doesn't happen over night, but over a LONG period of time.  Also there is Mercury in our mascara, and aluminum in our deodorant, so considering our skin is like a big sponge, we are absorbing toxins by simply using beauty products.  I don't mean throw out everything you have and go buy new, but you can check out  what you have by using www.cosmeticdatabase.com.  They rate products on a scale of 0-9 with 9 being highly toxic! 

I know this is a LOT of information and you may be feeling overwhelmed, trust me I know!  I did not begin to feel sick over night, nor did I begin my healing journey in one step.  Feeling sick came on over the course of 4-5 years and I baby stepped into this healing journey which I am still on that started about 2 1/2 years ago.  I don't have all the answers nor do I claim to, however, writing this blog I am hopeful that through my transparencies I can encourage others to take control of their health and begin their own journey to healing! 
*Please consult you health care practitioner before going off any meds or taking any supplements.  I am not a Doctor nor do I claim to be one.  (I just play one on TV!  LOL)

After school/Pre-workout Snack

If you follow this blog then you know that my kids are competitive gymnasts.  I am a RYT (Registered Yoga teacher) and we are pretty active!  So fueling our bodies is very important to me.  This is a quick and easy snack to fuel anyone before a workout.  I easily mix this up in  a disposable bowl and have it in the car, ready for my girls to eat on the way to gymnastics after school.  Our days are so jammed full that it is very easy to fall off the wagon and not have the right nutrients for proper fuel and nutrition.  This is why planning ahead and being very structured is key for me to be able to always be prepared.  (Well, most of the time! LOL)

This is so easy, even the kids can make this themselves!
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
Mix till well combined!
Eat with a spoon!

Breakfast Pizza

I use a medium small cast iron skillet for this recipe.  It makes the perfect personal size pizza for me, although with all the toppings I use, I can only eat half of one pizza in one sitting. 

Recipe:
Ghee or coconut oil (enough to grease the bottom of the skillet)
3 eggs, scrambled
cooked sausage
homemade marinara sauce
diced fresh tomatoes and bell peppers
diced onions (optional)

heat the oil on the stove top in the skillet
pour in the scrambled eggs and let set until the edges are set
gently loosen and flip the "crust"
top with toppings and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 12 min till all is heated through.

optional toppings: salsa, avocado slices, shredded cheese or goats or feta crumbles

Healthy School Lunches Part 2

 1. Applegate Farms Organic all Beef hotdog (chopped), stick of Sargento Colby jack cheese, banana chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, baby carrots with homemade hummus, and jello jigglers.

 2. Watermelon chunks, gluten free Rudi's wrap with Applegate farms Turkey Bologna and sliced Colby jack cheese (rolled up and halved), homemade hummus and carrot coins.

 3. Another wrap, except with Applegate farms ham this time.  Again with Colby jack cheese and I heated it to melt the cheese and then rolled and halved it.  Gluten Free pretzels (I found at Aldi) and fresh raspberries.  Celery from our organic and non-GMO farmer with homemade hummus.

4. Leftover dinner from the night before.  Spaghetti squash with meatballs baked into a nest from PaleOMG.   Sourdough rolls that I made, which are gluten free.  And organic strawberry Trader Joes' yogurt cup.

Again, keep in mind these are not just for the kids!  These lunches can also be used for the office too.  Incase you missed it... also read my previous post Healthy  Lunches for School (and the office too!)

Jello Jigglers

 This is the brand of gelatin that I use.  I order it on Amazon.  This is the only brand that I am aware of that is from grass fed cows.  Gelatin has protein in it and also has many beneficial properties that we should be consuming daily!  www.hollywoodhomestead.com  has lots of interesting info on gelatin and the benefits for you.

 Using juice such as this, is low in sugar and tart cherry has beneficial properties as well for reducing inflammation.  Juice that is not from concentrate is the best choice. 

I heat 1 cup of water to boiling and then remove from heat.  I then add 5 TBSP of gelatin sprinkled over the top and let dissolve.  Once it is dissolved, I add 2 cups of the juice and 1/2 cup of raw honey and whisk until combined.  Then I pour into a glass 8X8 casserole dish and put in the fridge until it is set up.  Cut into squares and eat!  Store in a container in the fridge!

Healthy lunches for school (and for the office too)

 1. This lunch consists of a turkey bologna (Applegate farms) sandwich on my homemade gluten free sourdough bread, Trader Joes nuts and chocolate chunk trek mix, cucumber dices with some homemade ranch in the container with the green lid, and organic strawberries.

 2.This lunch consists of two rolled up pieces of Applegate Farms Turkey, cubed pieces of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, wholly guacamole mini, organic Trader Joes blue corn tortilla chips (in the baggie).  And 2 Trader Joes gluten free ginger snap cookies.

 3.  This lunch consists of Applegate farms ham, Kerrygold Dubliner cheese chunks, my homemade gluten free sourdough mini rolls, fresh organic peach sliced, organic celery with Trader Joes almond butter.

 4. This lunch consists of cucumber slices, kiwi, and a cutie, Almond butter and Trader Joes fruit sweetened strawberry jelly on grain free silver dollar pancake sandwich, and Applegate Farms ham and Colby jack cheese slice.

5. This lunch was one at home.  3 slices of a mini loaf of my gluten free sourdough bread topped with Colby jack cheese, oregano, and uncured Applegate Farms pepperoni.  Not pictured she also ate 1/2 a peach and a banana, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookie (gluten-free). 

This is a weeks worth of easy and healthy lunches that are for school or the office, or home!  I will work on posting the recipes for some of the items mentioned!  In the mean time, email me or FB message me if you need a recipe before I have time to post them!
ENJOY!

Autoimmune problems, what does it even mean?

If you have been following my blog since the beginning then you know I have been struggling with my health on and off for the past 6 1/2 years.  I have discovered a few things along my journey and most have given me knowledge, power, and relief from my symptoms.  Some on the other had have only given me relief for a limited time.  I have tried may different things, chiropractor, yoga, nutritional therapist, western medicine, all kinds of testing, labs, procedures, you name it, I have had it done.  Now, I know what you must be thinking about now...this girl is crazy and a hypochondriac.  Let me defend myself first of all by saying, I may be crazy, but these symptoms are REAL!  And I am not alone in how I feel!  The symptoms are all encompassed under the umbrella of "Autoimmune Disease".  Now what is autoimmune?  It is basically where your body starts to attack itself because it thinks of itself as a  foreign substance.  Scientists have found out that almost all of these diseases begin in the gut.  Due to the highly toxic world we live in, our guts can get these tiny holes in the lining and we get "leaky gut" which is what causes the attack on self.  You may be thinking, I don't think I live in that toxic of a world, but let me point out a few things here. 
~chemicals in pesticides from non-organic foods we eat
~pesticides in GMO foods we eat (this means genetically modified and that means the seed contains the pesticide in it so that bugs and pests won't eat the produce)
~Beauty products
~water
~medicine
~cookware
~plastic storage containers
~aluminum foil
~bad oils used for cooking
~pollution in our air
The list could go on for ever! 
So if bugs and pests wont eat GMO grown produce, then why would we want to?  It's like eating pesticide!  Products that are most heavily GMO, corn, soy and rice! 
What can you do about all of this?  Buy local from your farmers market where you can talk to your farmer and ask these questions.  Buy from Trader Joes who's mission is to always sell NON-GMO foods!  Whole Foods, Kroger, Wal-Mart and Publix also carry a variety of non-GMO foods, just look for the label on the product! (most always found in the organic section)

Most recently my adrenal fatigue symptoms started sneaking back in a little bit.  The ones of feeling like I was spinning and going to pass out, and the inability to cope with the issues of daily life.  It was not as debilitating as it was, but now I can recognize the symptoms and get to the bottom of things in the beginning instead of letting them get me DOWN!

So I attended a health speaking engagement that one local chiropractor put on for the community for free.  He talked about leaky gut, inflammation, heavy metal toxins, thyroid issues, and weight loss resistance. 

Things I knew I had were, bad bacteria in my gut from the stool samples the NT had discovered and how baffled she was after 3 months of antimicrobials that some were killed , but even more came back.  Also I was always in pain in my back!  I have scoliosis and have since I was 11, but I have had severe back pain since I was 22.  That's been 15 years of suffering a bad back that flares up from simply mopping my floors.  I occasionally had a metallic taste in my mouth, but never thought much about it, and over the past 6 months, I had began gaining weight at a rapid rate.  I was eating like I always do, paleo/primal, and working out 5-6 days a week, so this continual weight gain was so discouraging! 


I decided to do the initial testing with this chiropractor and was shocked to find I had the highest level of inflammation you could have and that I failed all parts of the heavy metal toxin test.  This immediately brought concern to my mind.  I know that diseases LOVE to live in an inflamed environment, especially cancer!  With my family history so strong on both sides of cancer, I do not want to take any chances!  So I told him I wanted to do his CORE cellular detox program. 

In the beginning of the plan I had to make homemade beef broth from grass fed beef bones and could only consume broth and water with salt and coconut oil for 4 days.  This was SO hard!  I did not feel well at all and (sorry for the details), I felt like I was prepping for a colonoscopy for all 4 days.  During this time I was also taking supplements to kill of all the bacteria in my gut, good and bad, along with any yeast, and fungus.  Then a binder to flush all the dead stuff out.  After the 4 days, I could introduce beef, lamb, venison or chicken as long as it was wild, grass fed or free range.  It had to only be seasoned with salt and could be topped with real butter or coconut oil.  I could also eat eggs.  I followed this all protein for 11 days, still drinking broth and taking the supplements.  On day 16, I was allowed to introduce fiber and carbs in supplement form and through veggies and more healthy fats in avocados.  I was reinnoculating my gut with the good bacteria though kefir drinks and whey water along with fermented veggies and probiotics.  The fiber and carbs feed the bacteria so this good bacteria will flourish and grow!  After about 4 full days of this part of the plan, I began to feel very bloated and miserable!  I contacted the Dr. and he said that I should stop all carbs and fiber and back up to the protein again. Apparently I had not killed off all the bad guys and the fiber and carbs were also feeding them.  I have been back on the protein now for 5 days and the killing supplements again for 3.  I am feeling better, so I feel very confident that he was right about that being the problem.  Here's the crazy thing...when I started this plan my weight was about 12-15 pounds more than my normal.  The first 4 days on the broth it went up 2.5 more pounds, due to the fluid volume overload.  Then once I was on the protein for a week, I had lost 6 pounds.  When the carbs got reintroduced, the weight shot back up 3.5 pounds.  Then once I went back to the protein, I lost the 3.5 pounds in 3 days.  To me that was crazy how much weight can fluctuate from bloat caused by bad bacteria growing in the gut and taking over.

I am such a strong willed person that I do plan to stick this out all the way to the end no matter what!  I am hoping and praying that this will be the solution to my leaky gut.  Heal and Seal it!  That's what I am going for! 
I have not had any pain whatsoever in 24 days, which is huge for me!  And my belly is flat again without having to try so hard to hold it in all the time!  I have tons of energy and  I am sleeping better than I have since before I had kids! 
I can tell by taste and smells that my body has detoxed the heavy metals, but I will have those checked again once I am done with the fast.  You may wonder how I was so toxic...mercury, titanium dioxide, aluminum, are all found in beauty products, medicines, cookware, foils, and gum.  Read your ingredients and you'll be shocked!  (mascara, "natural" gums and toothpaste, mineral makeup)
I also had my thyroid checked, which is more than just the typical TSH test.  My TSH was always normal, however my reverse T3, was off the charts.  That's a whole other blog post, talking about the many tests for thyroid that are not being performed! 
So...stay tuned for more results and hopefully a cure to the autoimmune problems I suffer from!  One that will last forever! 

Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins

I am once again embarking on another 21 day food challenge.  The one I did back in November was very successful for me in that I lost almost a whole 7% Body Fat.  Since then there was Thanksgiving, Christmas, a trip to Punta Cana, and well...I gained back 3% of that lost BF during that time.  Not too bad, but its quickly approaching time for bathing suit season, and I am challenging myself again to lower the BF 4% this time and tone up as well as lean out!  I am adding some new recipes, and also incorporating a workout program.  I will be following Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer which you can find for FREE at www.bodybuilding.com


Follow me on Instagram daily for exactly what I am eating.  If you didn't request it last time, I can still email you the original 21 day jump start diet plan if you are eager to get your body ready for swim suit season!  (@alicia_trotter is my instagram username, so come on aboard and follow along!)


Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins
6 eggs (farm fresh is best)
chopped broccoli (leftover steamed from dinner works well)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
6 pieces of bacon (nitrite free and uncured)
fresh basil chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Chop the veggies, this doesn't have to be done very small because we will be blending these in the blender with the eggs.  Sautee the veggies all but the tomatoes, and basil in 1 TBSP of coconut oil (buy this online at Vitacost.com )  Once the peppers are tender, remove from heat and add to blender.  Crack the 6 eggs into the blender, salt & pepper and puree the mixture.  Take the 6 pieces of bacon and on a microwave safe plate, lined with paper towels on top and bottom, cook only long enough to start the cooking process but still be plyable enough to curve inside the edge of the muffin cup.  (I did  3 min)
Grease the bottoms of the muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or bacon fat.  Wrap the outter edges of each muffin cup with one piece of bacon.  Then fill with egg mixture, and top with tomato pieces and basil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min until eggs are set.
(my computer is on the fritz, so for pictures of this recipe, see my instagram account!  Sorry for any inconvenience.)

Cold or Flu?

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Like I have mentioned before, sometimes you do all the preventative stuff and someone still gets sick.  That's just the way it is and I have no idea why?  My kids take vit C, coconut oil, cod liver oil, and probiotics everyday and yet my oldest still managed to get the flu.  My little one only had a cold, and somehow I escaped them both. The hubby had the flu the week after Thanksgiving, so he was already immune. 
So how do you know the difference between the cold and flu?  Mainly I think it comes down to 2 things.  1. fever over 99.9 & 2. body aches and pains, these are the symptoms that mean flu instead of cold.  Both of my girls started feeling bad on a Friday.  By that evening they both had a low grade fever, 99.8.  The next morning, the little one still had a low grade fever and was playing like she usually does.  The older one, fever was higher and she was sleeping a lot!  The news goes on and on about how dangerous the flu is and how 36K people die from the flu each year.  This is a true statistic, but what they don't tell you is that most of the deaths are from complications due to either a preexisting respiratory condition, or from dehydration.  Fevers can dehydrate the body, and in children it can happen very quickly.  My personal rule of thumb is to let the body run the fever as a way to fight the infection as long as the fever does not get higher than 102.  When it reaches 102-102.5, I go ahead and give Motrin.  I also use rice bags that I keep in the freezer to help the body cool down.  I place them on the back or forehead.  Also for body aches, I put the child in an Epsom salt bath.  If respiratory issues are also present, I sprinkle some eucalyptus essential oil drops in the bath water as well. 
So since my oldest did get the flu this is what we did...  I made sure that she drank plenty of fluids (water & homemade Gatorade) and that she rested lots. I administered Motrin when necessary and then I gave her elderberry syrup and Colloidal Sliver every 2 hours.  She was pretty sick for about 8 days.  We did not leave the house.  Washing her pillow case and blanket everyday, rinsing her toothbrush out with peroxide after each brushing, using disposable paper cups in the bathroom, washing her thermos water bottle before refilling it each time, and steaming the sofa each day along with wiping down all surfaces is what I think helped the germs to not spread.  At one point I started to feel like I was getting a weakened immune system, so I used Zicam mouth spray and Cold Ezzee throat drops to help boost my immune system.  These are both homeopathic and natural. 
Once her flu symptoms where gone, she had a lingering non productive, dry cough.  To make sure this did not turn into pneumonia I found a natural expectorant at Walgreens that I gave her to help break up the congestion and get it out of her lungs.  There are several homeopathic brands on the market today and that are available at most local drug stores.  I encourage you to read the labels and try one of these next time. 
So even though we do not do the flu shot, and one of my kids got the flu, we still managed to survive the worst of it.  Being wise about when to use Western Medicine and when to stick to the natural stuff is key.  Western Medicine is there for us for a reason. I especially do not mess around with a fever and letting it get too high.  Use your God given instincts and consult with your health care provider.  Respiratory issues and high fever can still cause death and do daily, so don't be too laid back with some of the more serious illnesses.  Take care of those little ones and yourself as well!
Stay healthy and warm the rest of this FLU season.
If you are interested in more, read my posts on "Elderberry Syrup" & "What I do when my child gets sick"

Challenge results

Today is day 22 and my results from the challenge are in.  

Before.                      After

117.5 lbs.                  112.5 lbs 

25% BF.                      18.7% BF

Goal was 10 inches.       8 3/4 inches

Inches lost were measured at chest, stomach, waist, hips, quads, and calves. I ate very strict but was never hungry. I worked out minimally and mainly did yoga. All of my meals are photograph posted on Instagram if you're curious. I am willing to help anyone who also wants to give their weight loss a jump start. I am currently helping 3 followers and would love to help more. This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change for better health and better you! 

Many thanks to all who follow and read along! Blessings to you and yours this thankful season! 

Winter Soup & the challenge is coming to and end!

I promised those following my IG account this recipe last week.  So sorry I am a week late getting it up.  Better late than never I guess, so here it is...
WINTER SOUP:
1 pkg of butternut squash or 1 squash peeled and diced
1/2 a bag of prechopped kale, or 1/2 a bunch, torn into bite sized pieces
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained (could also use great northern or chick peas)
qt of broth, homemade or organic free range chicken stock
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 package of sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp Spanish paprika
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a stock pot, melt some ghee or grass fed butter, or coconut oil and sautee onion and garlic until translucent.  Add spices and stir to combine.  Add broth and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to med cooking until the squash is fork tender. 
I served this with pork tenderloin sliced and baked.  You could cube up some pork and cook with the soup if you wish. 

This is the soup and also pictured is "Paleo Dinner Rolls" from paleospirit.com.  They are divine and so simple to make!

Today is day 19 of my 21 day jump start challenge.  I haven't lost any more weight on the scales, a few inches were regained, and I haven't check Body Fat % yet.  I plan to do that on day 22.  My ultimate goal from this was for BF loss.  Since I pretty much eat this way 80-90% of the time anyways, I did not expect weight loss.  Since I haven't been able to hit the workouts super hard, I may be disappointed with my end results.  However I do have to say that I do feel through all of this, I have finally stabilized by blood sugar which always ran low.  I have learned how to fuel my body with the right amount of calories, I always ate too few.  I feel like overall, I have much better health than I did this time last year.  I feel like the Adrenal Fatigue is a thing of the past!  I feel like ME again and that feels GREAT!  I want to give a shout out to Kim, Julie, and Janna.  They have reached out to me for help in getting their lives back on track.  I am here for ya for moral support and also for any other support you may need along this journey!  This blog was started to hopefully bring better health to those who are interested through my transparent journey in obtaining my own health.

Week one of the challenge results...

For those of you following, you will know that I have been on a food challenge to hopefully help my fatigued adrenals and body switch from fat storing to fat burning.  The challenge is for 21 days and is basically no grains, no sugars, limited fruit, and mainly protein, carbs from veggies, and healthy fats.  Beverages are only water, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, and herbal teas.  Sweeteners allowed are stevia, the real stuff,(not Truvia or Stevia in the Raw), and xylitol.  Fruit allowed is green apples and berries.  Try and pair the fruit with a healthy fat, like an apple and almond butter or berries and coconut milk.  You can take canned coconut milk, put it in the fridge for 24 hours, scrape off the top solid layer and mix with vanilla and cinnamon and have a fabulous dip for berries.  (or apples too!)
I have been posting all of my food pics and recipes or where I got the recipe on my Instagram account.  If you don't already, follow me on Instagram.  @alicia_trotter  If you don't have Instagram and are interested in what I have been eating, PM me and I can email you the screen shots of my posts.
So...beginning of week one I weighed, measured and had body fat % determined.  Then I began  a workout routine.  M-W-F I do heavy lifting and High Intensity Interval Training which only takes me about 30 min.  I subscribe to eplifefit.com which gives me my workout routines.  It's only $20 a month, so try it out!  On Tuesday and Thursday I do Yoga.  Then Saturday and Sunday I play with the family, what I call Active Rest days. After week one, my results were...lost 3.5 lbs, and 5.5 inches overall. Slow going so it seems, but I am already at my ideal weight so all I am really trying to do is lower BF%.  My goal is to lower it 5-7% of what it currently is.  I did not check this at the end of week one, I will check it at then end of the 21 days.  There are several people I know who are doing the challenge as well, and they are seeing amazing results with weight loss and inches lost!  This is a great thing to get you on the right path to weight loss kickstart if that is what you are after.  If you want more details, PM me!  aliciajtrotter@gmail.com
TaTa for now!

21 day jump start challenge

If you follow me on Instagram you will be seeing a LOT of food pictures coming up.  I am starting a 21 day challenge to help switch my body over from fat storing to fat burning mode.  At least that's the hope!  I am a member of EPlifefit and the jumpstart is what they suggest to get your body into fat burning mode so that your workouts are optimized.  I'd love it if any of you want to join me in this challenge. I will post recipes if it is an original creation and if not, then I'll post where I found the recipe.  Most of you with kids will want to know what will my kids eat during this time?  They will eat the dinners that I prepare for myself, but their breakfast, lunch and snacks will be the normal stuff for them.  They do Paleo about 80/20, so they still eat things like rice, corn and Paleo treat foods.  My Sunday Food prep post shows the typical breakfast foods they like.  They just snack the rest of the day usually till dinner.  Rolled up pieces of lunch meat, goats cheese and nut crackers, apples and natural peanut butter, chips and homemade salsa, raw veggies and hummus.
So today is day1 of my challenge.  I did a intense 30 minute heated yoga session yesterday to detox my body.  Started today out with a mug of hot lemon water.  Then around 8:30 I had 2 poached eggs, 2 pieces of nitrate/nitrite free uncured bacon, and sauteed spinach.  I also had a cup of pumpkin chai tea with no sweetener and 1 Tbsp of plain unsweetened almond milk.

That held me over for 5 hours.  When I decided to eat lunch, I actually was not really all that hungry.  I ate anyways because I am trying not to let myself get to a starving point for better blood sugar control.  Lunch was left over ribeye steak that had been grilled, about 5 oz and french style green beans that were sauteed in bacon fat.  Very filling and satisfying!

My plans for the rest of the day are to have a cup of Harvest Blend herbal tea (from Trader Joes) and for dinner have "spaghetti" in creamy tomato sauce from www.everydaypaleo.com
I will have it with the zucchini noodles but my kids will have GF rice noodles.  Although they would probably eat the zucchini.
I will be posting pics on Instagram if you want to follow me.  It's never too late to join me in this challenge either, so come on.  Even if you're a few days behind me, start it today!  Email me if you need a food list of approved foods and such.  It's a great way to get the whole family transformed into eating healthier and on your way to a better you!  

Elderberry Syrup

I just realized that I spoke of an elderberry recipe and then never posted it.  Well now is definitely the time for having this on hand!  It is an immune booster, and also amazing how it can fight off flu.  Whether you get the flu shot or not, it doesn't always cover the strain that you may come in contact with and you could still be infected.  During the flu season, I give my kids a "shot" of this syrup daily to help boost their immune system.  Then if they do get sick, I give them a "shot" every two hours.  Being diligent and giving this often and for as long as the illness is lingering is the key with Natural Remedies!  They will take longer to work, but a chance of relapse is almost none!  Also remember to keep hydrated too!  I found a great "Natural Gatorade" recipe on Pinterest.  By the way, if you are on pinterest and don't follow me, please go and do that!  I have a lot of boards, but you may just be interested in my natural health, no harsh chemicals please, nourishing our bodies one bite at a time, paleo, and our life on GAPS boards. 
Now for the recipe:
1/2 cup dried elderberries, or 1 cup fresh (Frozen) berries
3 cups water
1 cup honey
bring berries and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 min
mash berries to release all the juices
strain off the berries, add honey and mix to combine well.
store in fridge for a few months

I buy dried berries from www.bulkherbstore.com or I harvest them myself in the wild.  Just be sure they are the black elderberries not the red ones.  The red ones are poisonous.  Also do not confuse elderberries with polk berries or sumac.  Be sure to look it up on line.  Making sure the  leaf and the blooms/berries look like what you see online.  This is the time of year to find them ready to harvest.

The bottom picture is frozen elderberries that I harvested last fall.  I am making the syrup using those berries today!  ENJOY, and may you and your family all have a healthy winter!
 

GI testing results are in...

So this is a diagram of what the human anatomy of our digestive track looks like.  Just in case anyone is curious about that!
My test results were as follows:
NO fungus or yeast
NO parasites (Yippie!!!)
3 strains of bacteria that all people have normally in the gut:
1. e.coli
2. strep
3. lactococcus
All of these were in serious overgrowth in my gut!  Not a good thing, especially since all the other markers were negative and I did NOT have a bacterial infection in the gut.  Luckily Anti-microbials can cure this!
(SIgA) which is a marker that tests for intestinal immunity was LOW!  Normal is 400-880, and mine was 44.
This is the immunity of the mucosal tissue, not what determines if you catch a cold or not!
This could be low due to food sensitivities which I have not tested for yet, but will be doing next!
I had no inflammation in the gut!  Thats good!
Chymotrypsin (pancreas enzymes) were low.  Normal is around 15, mine was 4.  What does this mean?  My food is not being properly broken down because my pancreatic enzymes are low.
I did have a little blood in the stool, once I begin gut healing treatment, I will retest for this to see if it is still there, worse or the same.
The recommendation was to start gut healing treatment to see if symptoms of bloating and discomfort after eating go away, or test for Food Sensitivities.  When I say bloating, let me be clear here that this is extreme bloating!  I have a flat stomach, eat anything at all and then I look 5 months pregnant.  No matter how much I work out my ABS, I cannot hold in my ABS to where I don't look preggers.  FRUSTRATION, and PAIN!  So,  I chose to go ahead and test for the food issues first because I felt it would be a lost cause to heal the gut if the food is the problem!  This test is being mailed to me now and once I have my blood drawn, I will have results in 2 days!  Much faster on this test!
So, when people ask me why I am doing this testing through a Nutritional Therapist and not my doctor, the answer is this...
Sadly enough in our Western Medical community, testing is not super thorough.  As long as they can find one thing out of the norm that there is a pill for, then they stop there and prescribe the pill.  The problem I have with this is that more times than not, this doesn't really get to the bottom of what is really going on.  Then the pill masks the symptoms so the real problem still exists.  I am taking my health into my own hands and seeking out help from a more holistic approach.  I want all the tests run and then collaboratively with my N.T. we will come up with as natural of a plan as we can to get my body back in balance the way GOD designed it to be.  We live in such a toxic world that no matter how hard we try to eliminate the toxins from our environment, we are still exposed to some degree.
I hope this hasn't totally overwhelmed or confused you all!  It's a lot to take in and understand!  Thanks for reading and following along!  I welcome any comments and questions if you are struggling to get some answers about your own health!  I will try my best to guide you in the right direction!       

Yoga for stress!

 Flamingo in "Tree Pose" at the Nashville Zoo, April 30, 2013

Yellow Lab in "Downward Facing Dog" at my house, April 19, 2013

I read a blog post on one of the many blogs I follow yesterday describing how even in our young children, they can get stressed and depressed.  Many times these conditions either go undiagnosed or the children end up medicated for them.  The blog was talking about how "YOGA" can help with stress and depression simply from the fact that it starts with our breath.  Deep breathing and relaxation.  This is what we are told to do to help with child birth, so it does make since when we thing about the science behind "Yoga".  The pictures I posted above are of animals in their own environment doing "yoga" poses all the time, everyday!  The point of the post I read was that before we let our children become stressed or depressed we should start at a very early age teaching them techniques of relaxation and deep breathing.  The blogger had given some suggestions on reading a story and having the children act out the story through flowing from one yoga pose to another.  I thought it was a very clever and cute idea.  Also keeps the body flexible and thus preventing injury in our day to day activities.  
I also was at the chiropractor yesterday and they has a documentary playing on how much our young children are prescribed anti-depressants.  That these types of medications along with ADD and ADHD meds have such horrific side affects that children as young as 7 are hanging themselves.  I know this subject may hit a chord with some people and I do not mean that I judge you if you have your child on any of these meds.  Each person is entitled to their own choice of how to handle situations in their childs life.  My main point here is to educated anyone who is looking for an alternative to the medications.  If your doctor has suggested your child be medicated and you want to try something else first, then I encourage you to look into some yoga for kids.  There are many DVDs, Youtube videos, books, etc out there.  Also removing red-40 dye from their foods and supplementing with extra magnesium (either in powder form mixed with water or topical form that is absorbed through the skin, ie epsom salt baths).  Personally being someone who suffers the stress syndrome "Adrenal Fatigue" and how it wreaks havoc on the body, I would love to see my children learn techniques as a child that could help them through out life learn not to get stressed!
Just my thoughts to share with you today, and remember, each person's opinion is their own, and it's "not wrong, just different"!  Thanks for reading!  Leave me a comment on your opinion!

Homemade non-toxic cleaning

Homemade Dry Laundry Detergent Recipe:
1 4lb box Borax
1 4lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
3 bars of Felps-naptha soap
2 small containers of oxy clean (this is probably not considered non toxic, but for those who really have trouble with stains or yellowing, you may have to add this)

*You should be able to find all of these items at your grocery store in the laundry isle.

This detergent is fairly mild smelling, so if you love a strong scent, you may want to add a few drops of an essential oil like lavender to each load on the rinse cycle.

Start out by grating the bars of soap just like you would cheese. Don't worry it will dissolve, even if you wash with COLD water!
Toss all the ingredients into a large trash bag and carefully incorporate them all by gently flipping the bag.  Or you could line a 5 gal bucket with the trash bag and then stir all the ingredients.
Once it is all mixed, store however you like.  This is a picture, above, of mine.  I bought this tall glass container at TJ Maxx.  I keep a 2 Tbsp scoop in the container, and that is all it takes per load. 
Homemade Floor Cleaner:  (great for hardwoods!)
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup isopropyl alcohol
2-3 drops natural dish soap (I use Dr. Bronners)
10-15 drops essential oil (optional)
24 oz fine mist spray bottle

Add all ingredients to spray bottle and shake to combine.  Sweep/vacuum the floors, spray cleaner, wipe with a microfiber cloth with the grain of the wood.
Furniture Polish:
 1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
mix into a spray bottle, spray wood and wipe clean with a cloth.  For wooden surfaces only!

Bathroom cleaner:
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup white vinegar
mix ingredients, scrub on bathroom surfaces, rinse away.

Kitchen cleaner:
1-2 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
per ounce of water
Mix in a spray bottle, spray on surface, and wipe clean.

Dishwasher soap:
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
rinse dishes well, add distilled white vinegar to rinse agent spot, use heat cycle to disinfect.

For all other cleaning needs on surfaces, microfiber cloths and water do a wonderful job!  I found microfiber cloths in a 3 pack at the dollar tree for $1.