For the past 11 months I've been on a healing journey, physically and emotionally. I'm in the process of being healed in the areas of my gut, thyroid, hormones, pain in my neck & shoulders and food sensitivities. My emotions are also being healed from things that happened in my past. I believe God has led me to do this using a combination of faith (asking, believing in faith for and expecting through the promises in the Bible), Godly, Spiritual guidance (Holy Spirit led) and nutrition (healthy eating, proper supplementation, etc). I'm trying different things to see what works best (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT). God is so good! I'm so glad that He made me aware of these things now rather than later. So I can enjoy the rest of my relevant life healthy and whole. You see, He cares about the whole person, mind, body and spirit. It's been interesting, to say the least, and quite difficult. Fighting your flesh is never easy and I've learned that food has a voice and change can be painful. But I know, through it all, it will be worth it. It's funny, I've always wanted to eat healthier and take better care of my body, but I never had the motivation to do so until I was essentially forced to do it, by some test results at the doctor. I don't know if I would have made any changes otherwise, but I know when someone makes you do something your flesh doesn't want you to do, the toddler inside of you (that you didn't realize was in there) comes out in various ways. A temper tantrum here, a cry-fest there. As my pastor has said in the past, "you find out who you are when you're shaken." Boy, was I shaken! And I had a choice that I could stay the same, which I thought was most comfortable, or I could change for the better. I've learned through this that healing can happen in layers, which can be frustrating, living in a world of instant gratification. But however the healing happens, I need to trust God that He will see to it that my healing is completed, because He is my healer. He didn't cause these things to happen, but He will use the situation for my good and for the good of those around me. I want this blog to not just be about a specific situation, however, like so many of them out there are, but to just show you what a simply relevant and healthy, balanced life looks like. You go through hills and valleys, but we're never alone if we put our faith in the One who created us. He knows us inside and out. Often you'll probably see me post a new recipe I've tried or maybe just a thought I've had for the day, but whatever it is, I hope you'll join me on this journey. I feel so proud of myself when I find a healthy recipe that looks delicious, then try it and find that eating healthy is so GOOD. I believe in enjoying splurges now and then (1 Timothy 6:17 AMP); it's not wrong to eat pizza, cake and cookies. But healthy eating on a regular, daily basis changes everything you ever thought about the food you put into your mouth. I hope this also encourages you that you have a purpose, and that your life is RELEVANT! Find your identity in Jesus, and He will show you exactly what that looks like :) You may even discover things about yourself you didn't know existed.
Today I want to share with you a recipe that I put together using recipes from other people. I made homemade sloppy-joes using real food. It was super simple! Especially if you make things ahead of time. Now don't get the wrong idea. I don't always make gourmet meals every night. Who has time for that??!! Especially with little ones in the house. But it's not that difficult to put together healthy dinners, if you have things made already. With this recipe I used:
1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
1/2 can tomato sauce (with no nasty ingredients or added sugar)
1/2 cup homemade BBQ sauce
(http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/01/apple-butter-barbecue-sauce/)
Garlic powder to taste
Sea salt to taste
Fresh chopped or dried parsley
Brown and drain the ground beef. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Voila!
I also made gluten/dairy and yeast free hamburger buns using this recipe here.
*I made a couple of modifications. I used my favorite gluten free flour blend by Namaste that you can purchase at your local health food store (gluten free flour). Instead of sugar I used stevia powder, but you could use raw honey or maple syrup. I also added equal parts baking soda and lemon juice to achieve a similar rise in the dough as yeast would create. For example, I did 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon juice to 1/2 Tbsp. Baking soda, mixed in a cup and then added to the wet ingredients. Turned out amazing!
I hope you all have a great day :)
