Resources for Vibrant Health
In a recent post, I shared my long history with health problems and how I’m now on the mend. Since that article, I’ve received quite a few emails from people asking what exactly I’ve been doing to bring healing to my body. In this post, you’ll find those resources.
The star players in my life:
Healing and Fueling Your Body
Trim Healthy Mama Plan Book-The Easy Does It Approach to Vibrant Health and a Slim Waistline
This is the plan book that explains everything in detail. You’ll learn why managing your blood sugar is so important to healing, energy, and weight loss. This book is also filled with information on much needed supplements that help your body heal. It’s bursting with research and since I like reading and I’m a ‘why’ kinda gal, I want to learn about how certain things interact with my body. If you’re not a reader or a researcher, then I wouldn’t recommend this 300+ page book. Instead, you’ll want to pick up Trim Healthy Table.
Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: Eat Up and Slim Down with More Than 350 Healthy Recipes
I use this cookbook on a regular basis. It’s filled with recipes that will bring vitality to your life. You’ll find recipes to help you heal your gut along with your adrenal glands and thyroid and so much more. (If you’ve got adrenal/thyroid issues, find the recipe for the Singing Canary drink.)
And let’s not forget dessert! My favorite meal of the day coming from a recovering sugar addict. You can even eat cake for breakfast if you want, although that’s not my personal choice. I eat a sprouted wheat bagel every morning because 1) I LOVE bagels, 2) I don’t like to cook, especially in the morning, and 3) I need good carbs when I go for a run in the morning. Yes, you can eat good, healthy carbs on this plan! More on that later.
Trim Healthy Table: More Than 300 All-New Healthy and Delicious Recipes from Our Homes to Yours
This book gives you a basic overview of the plan plus it’s filled with recipes. If you’re on a tight budget, you can start with this book. Or, if you’re not a reader and you prefer the Cliff Notes version of the plan book, then get this one. This book is a compilation of a modified version of the plan book plus recipes.
Hormonal Problems
Progessence Plus from Young Living Essential Oils
This essential oil helps with my hormones. Natural progesterone along with herbs are in this oil blend. I’ve used this oil for years. Once in the morning and again before bed. Now after a few months of balancing my blood sugar, I only use it once a day. More if needed during my monthly cycle. I’ve also used Clary Calm from DoTerra in the past. Sometimes my body will get used to one oil and I have to switch things up between the two different oils.
Ovarian Cysts (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-PCOS)
Basil Essential Oil from DoTerra
When I get rupturing ovarian cysts, I just rub a few drops of this oil over the painful ovary. I probably haven’t used this oil for the last 9 months or longer due to the fact that I haven’t had this pain. The more balanced my hormones are the less I need this oil.
Years ago, we were paying $600.00 month (out of pocket) for natural bio-identical progesterone. This was the only thing that kept my cysts away. Now I spend less than $50 a month with essential oils. Today even less since I’m balancing my blood sugar through food.
Gut Health
Multi Collagen Protein Gut Restore- This product has done wonders for my body! I’ve used it for the last 6 months on a daily basis and my gut has improved immensely. But what’s most shocking to me are my knees. I’ve had knee problems for the last 18 years. I did physical therapy multiple times which did nothing to help. The only solution from the orthopedic surgeon was to have surgery to shave my knee caps. Not something I wanted to do. In years past, my knees were so problematic we moved from a two-story home to a single-story home because my knees couldn’t handle the stairs. And when I went for a run, I had to wear a knee brace and avoid hills. Today, I run hills with no knee brace! I attribute this success to daily collagen and removing sugar from my diet since it’s a biggie for inflammation. To me, it seems like collagen is reversing my aging. I don’t mind this change for one minute! Collagen has become my new BFF. You can read an in-depth article about collagen here.
Ancient Probiotics-Gut Restore
I take a heavy-duty probiotic daily as well. My gut needs all the help it can get. I also drink daily shakes with okra in it to heal my intestinal lining. Years ago, I had a daily protocol of probiotic enemas for 6 months. Yep, you read that right. Enemas. I was in my early 30’s going through this as well as having a colonoscopy! Having a colonoscopy in your early 30’s should be illegal.
Brain Health
MCT Oil
I use this supplement every day to help with my brain health. I put MCT oil in my shakes and I also just slurp it down straight from a tablespoon. I use regular MCT oil for shakes and MCT oil infused with Turmeric to help with inflammation. You can read more about the healing benefits of MCT oil here. You get more bang for your buck with Trim Healthy Mama’s MCT oil but I also need the one with Turmeric in it to rid me of some pain/inflammation I still have in my body.
Liver Health
Milk Thistle
I’ve had liver issues for years now. I take Milk Thistle to gently detox my liver. I’ve been through many a detoxes and they’ve all left me extremely sick and throwing up. 250 mg. of Milk Thistle doesn’t seem to bother me. And if you’re looking to lose weight, make sure your liver isn’t bogged down.
As you can see, it does cost more than a $1.00 to better one’s health. However, you can either pay for your health or pay for your disease. Either way, money will be coming out of your pocket.
So, where does one start if you’re short on time, energy, or money?
Baby steps and batch cooking.
When I first started this health journey, I made several large batches of food so I wasn’t in the kitchen every day because, 1) I loathe cooking, 2) I was physically exhausted. Yes, I ate the same meal over and over again until I either ran out food or had enough energy to make new meals.
Address your biggest health need first.
Do you have ovarian cysts and the pain is excruciating? Maybe you start with some essential oils to bring you some relief until you can make other purchases/changes. When I started this recent health stint, I already had my oils and purchase more when I run out. I think in the last 6-7 years I’ve only bought 2 bottles of Basil essential oil. Most women eating the Standard American Diet are probably dealing with hormonal balances. Changing your diet and adding essential oils will help bring your body back into balance.
Do you have gut issues? I bought the collagen gut restore in January when I started removing sugar from my diet because my gut needs some serious repair. Then I added MCT oil. I originally just bought a bottle at a health food store because I didn’t really know much about MCT oil. After comparing prices, Trim Healthy Mama’s is the best price I’ve found. But if you don’t have mental issues like I once did, then you probably don’t need this item today. But if you can afford it, then buy it. It is that good for your body and mental health.
Eventually, I added the Milk Thistle to my supplement protocol to assist my liver. But as I balance my blood sugar by removing white flour, white rice, and sugar from my diet, my liver will become healthier. Many of the foods I eat and drink through the THM plan, will bring natural detoxing to my liver and healing to my gut, which in turn helps my hormones so I’m not a crazy person.
I use essential oils from the following companies:
- Young Living
- DoTerra
- Rocky Mountain
- Plant Therapy
- Dr. Axe
Make changes to your diet.
Buy one of the Trim Healthy Mama’s books or go to the library and check one out. You can even learn more about the plan through their private facebook group here.
Two companies I support and follow their health teachings:
- Dr. Axe
- Trim Healthy Mama
They are Believers which I appreciate because when you get into natural health, many times the founders/writers will introduce you/indoctrinate you with their New Age garbage. This Christ-follower ain’t goin’ put up with that nonsense.
Personally, I had a hard time following Dr. Axe’s eating plans, specifically, his Keto diet. I read the book but it seemed too restrictive to me. He did address cyclically in carbs because it helped his wife, but I didn’t really know how to go about doing that. Eating a sweet potato wasn’t going to satisfy this carb girl for one second! One thing that stood out to me from Trim Healthy Mama’s plan is how they addressed that women, especially, need good healthy carbs for their adrenals and thyroid health. And God made carbs. Good ones. Enjoy them because your body needs them.
Eric asked me the other day why I like the Trim Healthy Mama plan so much? (He was hoping I’d get off this health kick because he was tired of hearing me run the obnoxious blender every day!)
Because the plan is doable and sustainable. Most restrictive diets are not. The plan is written by two Christ-following sisters who based their plan on the teachings of the Bible. That caught my attention. As women, they understand hormonal health. They know what it’s like to meal plan and make recipes that the whole family will eat. (In years past, I would have to make two different meals, one for me and one for the fam.) Most diet/health plans don’t take into consideration that you have a life outside of the kitchen and you’re not just cooking for yourself. The sisters also include recipes for dessert and they’re lovers of coffee and chocolate. Need I say more? At the core of it all, I identify with them. They get me and my struggles.
Now, speaking of sweets… here are a few of my favorite sweeteners:
- Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener: classic, golden, and powdered (no bitter after taste, but not as sweet as sugar)
- THM Gentle Sweet (takes most like sugar)
- THM Super Sweet (I’m not a big fan of this one, but I do use it in my shakes.)
- Stevia but only from THM. All other brands of stevia I’ve tasted I find disgusting.
- Pyure stevia blend- the jury is still out on this one as I just picked up a bag yesterday.
- Another one to taste test is Swerve- I like the taste but find it has a cooling aftertaste.
All of the above are natural sweeteners, not artificial ones.
Some sites I follow for recipes:
My Montana Kitchen– this site is for THM recipes but she’ll also promote keto recipes as well.
Briana Thomas- is also a THM recipe site. She’s known for her ice cream recipes.
All Day I Dream About Food– this site is for Keto recipes only (THM cycles between low carb/high fat to high carb/low fat. You get the best of both worlds on THM.) Carolyn, the author of this site, makes some delicious desserts but dairy and almonds don’t play well with me, therefore, I no longer consume much of her recipes. However, she does have a coconut pancake recipe that I make on a regular basis. If you can consume dairy and almonds with no problem, you’ll love her site.
Kasey Trenum– this is another Keto recipe site. If you have a hard time tolerating almonds, you’ll appreciate her recipes. She uses predominately coconut flour in her recipes.
Early to Bed Early to Rise combines THM recipes with health articles. It’s a site I recently stumbled on but what I have read thus far, she’s spot on in regards to health. Diane is an integrative medicine assistant and she’ll give you tips and tools for optimal health. That’s her jam, not mine.
My Pinterest Boards:
I know from firsthand experience how difficult it is to embrace change. Change is hard. Being sick is hard, so is being tired, rundown, and emotionally overwhelmed. Choose your hard.
With God all things are possible. Mark 10:27
There’s so much more I can write on the topic of your physical health but here’s the deal; health is not my passion, it’s my problem. I share my story to offer you help and hope but it’s not a lane I want to stay in. I encourage you to take advantage of the resources I’ve shared and look into the teachings of Trim Healthy Mama and Dr. Axe. Bettering your physical health is their lane, not mine. My lane is pouring into your soul and equipping you in your relationships. Soon I’ll return to my regularly scheduled program. Until then,
Live a poured out life for Christ,
Jolene Engle