Friday, December 28, 2012

Yet Another Surprise

So everyone knows that my blender went kaput awhile back, and I got a text message on the 20th stating, 
"I was reading your blog today and saw your blender broke! I have an extra one that I'll send to you."

So I'm thinking and replied, 
"Oh wow! Thank you so much. What a blessing...you just don't know ;-)))))))))))."

So I'm thanking God that He blessed this person with an extra blender and that they're willing to pass it along to me. Cool right? So I get another text message on the 27th saying,
"Hey lady! Look for a package from me sometime this week."

So again I'm thankful and express that in a reply text. So today I get this message,
 "Gm. I tracked the package and it will be coming today. UPS."

So I reply with, 
"Alright! Thank u so much. The minute it arrives I'll let u know 😁."

So at around 12pm I hear the doorbell and I dash downstairs as I know it's UPS. I see that the box is from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Now I'm puzzled...I look around the packaging and see my name but no return name. So I'm wondering what this is all about?! I get the box upstairs and slice open the seal while thinking to myself, "maybe she had this box lying around and used it to put the blender in." So I'm continuing to open the box...now I see decorative tissue, wrapping paper, and a card...I'm totally confused.

 


I open up the card and here's what it says...



I'm in total shock at this point and the tears are in shock too. I continue opening and behold...



I couldn't believe it! I've been tricked. So in the midst of emotions, I pick up my phone to call but knew the tears would really flow then, so decided to send another text which read, 
"Ummmmm this does not seem like an extra blender that you had lying around the house. This is such a wonderful surprise Kenyaboo...thank you...I mean it, thank you 😅".

To which Kenya McFadden (affectionately known as Kenyaboo by me) replied,
"Surprise!! Lol Once I saw your blender broke I wanted to get you one. You've been very inspiring!!"

Can you believe that? Kenya went out and bought me a blender because I've been an inspiration, and she wanted to help me on my journey. What a blessing! 

God is so good and faithful. I'm inspired by the love and support that I've been receiving during my journey. God is great and greatly to be praised. Now I'm gonna read the manual and figure out how this contraption works LOL.

Kenya, I truly do thank God for you and your generosity - and for your willing heart to help me ;-). You just don't know.

STAY TUNED as I continue to journal through healing.

Be blessed!










Monday, December 24, 2012

Finger lickin' good

Well guys I tried chicken for the first time since May and it was SLAMMIN'! My Boo-Boo put his foot in that bird. So far so good.


Although it was tasty, I'll probably still stick with my seafood and may occasionally eat chicken. I will also look into some vegan alternatives.

Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and I hope you have a Happy New Year!

STAY TUNED because I have one more post coming your way very soon.

Be blessed!

FANTASTIC...AWESOME..AMAZING

I am finished with my detox and the comments are endless. The most common adjectives that I hear are, "you look fantastic!" "You look awesome!". "You look amazing - even your face looks younger". All I can say is that my God is FANTASTIC, AWESOME, and AMAZING as He's the one that has made these results possible.

Here's an update on my results:
•Weight - I began the detox at 135 and now I'm 125...a total of 10 pounds shed.
•Waist - when I first measured my waist before the detox it was 32 inches. Now it's 28 inches...yup a whole 4 inches lost.
•Skin - even though I didn't steam and use the clay as often as I could have, I still see improvements. I would show a pic but I'm very red from blowing my nose and don't want to take a pic looking so much like Rudolph. 

                         

I didn't think it was possible for me to get any smaller than I already was but yup, I managed to do so; but I think I look great even though some believe I'm too small. Here are 2 pics of myself from this week:





What matters most is that I FEEL great, with the exception of this cold but I'll ride it out.

I have decided to add chicken back into my diet - not a lot of it, but just as an addition to the seafood that I'm already eating. April said that one thing I need to be mindful of is acidic foods, and trying not to put too much acid into my system. I looked up a chart that includes the pH levels of foods and discovered that pork and beef are the most acidic (I'll continue to stay away from these foods), but noticed that fish and chicken are similar in levels so I figured I may as well try it. My first time attempting it will be tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. I'm going to try baked chicken and the white meat and see how agreeable it is to my system. If it doesn't agree, then it may be the last time I try but we'll see.  I'll keep you posted.

Well folks, that's all for now. If I don't get to blog before Christmas, please have a blessed and Merry Christmas, and a prosperously blessed New Year.

STAY TUNED as I continue to journal through my healing.

Be blessed!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

This is it

Well this is it my good people - my final day of detoxing WHOO HOO! I will update you tomorrow on my results.

Be blessed.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Another Milestone

God has brought me to another milestone...on this exact date last year, I was sitting in church, my body writhing in pain, and I heard a voice clearly say, "if you want your healing, stand up."

At first, I thought it was Satan playing tricks on me because who would ask me to stand up, knowing how much pain I was in, and knowing that I could barely move?! Then it dawned on me...God would test my faith by making this statement in order to see if I truly would have faith in Him. Once I came to the realization that it was God, I went ahead and stood up. It was in that very moment that all pain was gone and I was able to clap my hands, stomp my feet, and actually remained standing for the remainder of the service. Now when I got home, the pain returned but I believe it was this step of faith that enabled God to know that He could heal me, and that I would give Him all of the glory.  

One whole year later I look great, feel great, and owe God all of the praise, glory and honor. I have been claiming my healing since 2008 and God began to show me the manifestation of it last year. 

I believe that I am still embarking on my healing journey, and will one day allow my doctors to test all of my blood so that I will finally have the written proof that I seek. In the meantime, I'm going to continue to do my part and detox, eat healthy, and not put foreign drugs into my system.

I will continue to keep you posted as I continue to journal through my healing.

Be blessed.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Acidic Revelation

Today is day 9, it's my 3rd time doing the full body detox, and I have come to an acidic revelation. When nourishing myself, I need to ensure that alkaline foods make up the majority of my meals and that I limit my intake of acidic foods. Beef and pork are very acidic...so is coffee, cheese, white bread, eggs, white milk, etc. So I need to make sure that the majority of my meal consists of greens, greens, and more greens, along with some fruits, and more.

I also just discovered TODAY that fish is just as acidic as chicken. April said that I OD on fish; and I thought I was making a healthy choice to only eat seafood. So with today's revelation, I'm not going to focus so much on what to keep in or take out of my diet; I'm just going to focus on making sure it's balanced and that the majority is alkaline.

This is definitely a learning journey, and education definitely is key. So, I will be adding chicken back into my diet but will balance it and fish with alkaline foods. I will also continue to investigate to see what other foods/meals will work best for me. April also recommended that I look into some vegan cookbooks so I will look into that as well. I definitely don't want to cause my body to become acidic again so I will be sure to use extreme caution and to seek God's wisdom.

I'm sure that this won't be the last thing that I'll learn before this detox is over but I welcome it. I'm toasting my herbal tea to better health. TO HEALTH!!!

Well...that's all folks. Continue to stay tuned as I continue to journal through healing.

Be blessed.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Halfway Point

I have made it to day 10 with 10 more days to go. I've been experiencing some chest pain/discomfort and asked April about it - her response was this:

"that's formula #2 at work it's dissolving mucus. Does it feel like burning in the chest? Nothing to be alarmed about. Drink more water and green juices; green juices are alkaline and will help. Just ride it out. It's also a sign that circulation is improving."

Then she dropped a bomb on me...here it is:

"After this detox lay low on seafood. It's not as bad as meat but it's way too acidic for you especially since you are still healing."

After inquiring further, she said that I can still eat seafood but shouldn't eat it anymore than twice a week. Shucks! It's good to know that healing is still taking place; I'm glad I detoxed again. I've been eating fish just about everyday since May, so I'm not exactly sure what to do. My sister-in-law just bought me some salmon and tilapia yesterday...it's just waiting in my freezer until the 21st (first day off the detox).

Oh well, I'll have to investigate some other food options. That should be fun...no really, I'm serious. I like investigative work ;-). My husband will be happy as he absolutely forbade me from frying anymore fish (it was fried in olive oil so it's healthiER but I know fried is not good). He'll be glad to see that I'm trying other things, even though I do cook other things for him when I make fish for me.  Oh well, let the adventure begin. I have 10 days to look into other options.  I will keep you posted. 

Well I'm getting ready to turn in.

STAY TUNED as I continue to journal through healing.

Be blessed.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Bitter SWEET

Well, as far as the detox is concerned, today is day 9 and things have been going pretty good. I had some other things that took place this week that has been bitter sweet but I'll share that with you in a moment.


As for the detox - I've lost a total of 8 pounds, 4 inches from my waist, and am feeling great; with the exception of still being tired.  April commented that I needed to ensure that I'm eating my share of greens...which I thought I was doing, but one thing she said I should do is to juice my greens. I've been drinking green smoothies (well, I was until my blender went rogue again but that's another story for another day). So this week besides eating salads at lunch and dinner, I made a kale and apple juice which was deeeeeelicious, and then I made a dandelion and carrot juice which...well...let's just say is still sitting in my fridge. You definitely have to have an acquired taste but I will finish it...on second thought, maybe not. The only thing that I can say when I drink that juice is, "Whooo"!. 

Here are some pics:


   Kale and Apple Juice - YUMMMY!!!


                          
Dandelion greens and Carrot Juice - WHOOO!!!


So onto the bitter sweetness of my week. 

God allowed my husband and I to build our 1st home in PA in July of 2008. We had planned to look for jobs close to home but things didn't pan out that way, so we both commuted daily to NJ. We were both driving 120+ miles daily, putting massive wear and tear on our cars, spending countless hours on the road and away from each other. After I became increasingly more ill, along with difficulties with my husband's health, we made the decision last October to sell our home - my doctor made it very clear at that point that it was either going to be me or our home. We decided that God would bless us with another home but He would never bless us with another "Me" so I took precedence. 

With the housing market being what it was, we owed more on our home than the house was worth, which meant we had to enter into a short sale (which is actually the longest sale in history) - this allows us to accept an offer on our home for less than the house is worth, with the bank's approval; the bank also has the right to make you owe the balance or in our case (thank You Jesus), they forgave what we still owed on our loan.  So on Friday, December 7, 2012, this short sale was finalized and we had to attend the closing on the sell of our home. Initially we had opted not to attend the closing because, although we knew this was the decision that was best for us, who wants to sell their home under these types of circumstances? But, being that this was buyer #4, and we wanted to close prior to us having to winterize the house (fill up on propane so that the pipes wouldn't burst), we had to attend the closing. So we got to meet the buyers of our home and sign off on all of the necessary documents. It was bitter because we will miss our residence; we had some good times there HOWEVER it is SWEET because we know that God closed this door in order to prepare us for our house-blessing that will be close to our jobs, and won't require an hour + commute. We did this commute for 3 years and although it almost killed me...lesson learned.  I also thought it was SWEET how the closing took place on the 7th day - the number 7 is said to represent completion. God completed this journey in our lives (7 is also the number of years in which my healing came) and He is preparing us for our next journey as the number 8 symbolizes "new beginnings". God has already begun anew in the Hilbert household ;-).

God is taking us to new heights in Him and we are so thankful. 

STAY TUNED as I continue to journal through healing.

Be blessed.



Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Aromas and Cravings and More...OH MY!

Aromas and Cravings and More...OH MY!
Aromas and Cravings and More...OH MY!
Aromas and Cravings and More...OH MY!
Aromas and Cravings and More...OH MY!

My goodness! I don't ever remember me experiencing this through my last 2 detoxes - every smell of food is calling my name and singing to me...wait a minute, as I'm typing this, it's sounding very familiar...maybe I DID experience this same thing. Every single item of food, I can smell and not just smell but absorb its very fibers. I'm not having cravings so much as I want to eat foods that I haven't even eaten since before detoxing - all-the-way hot dogs, tuna fish, egg foo young (which I've never eaten in my life) but I see it or smell it, and I want it. It's so bad that I have to remind myself that not only can I not eat these foods as a result of detoxing, but I've given up much of these foods PERIOD. Even chicken and turkey and ham...I just want it ALL.

And I'm still so very tired. I feel like I need a whole week or at least a couple of days with nothing but sleep.

Oooooooh guess what?! I finally got my Boo-Boo to taste one of my homemade juices - I convinced him to try my carrot, parsley, and apple juice. He sipped it...made a slight smile...and then said, "humph". I said, "it's good right?" He answers back, "it's alright it just tastes like parsley". I mean, can he give a sista credit? He knows that juice was good.

I made apple juice for the first time tonight as well but maybe it'll taste a little better chilled.

I have lost another pound which brings my count to 7 lbs in 4 days. My mom saw me today and although she noticed the weight loss, she commented that I look good like this. I think I do too - I just wish my derrière didn't have to completely flatten as apart of the detox territory. Oh well...it is what it is.

Well my faithful followers, it's time to drink my activated charcoal and go nite-nite. I should have been in the bed but...I'm not.

STAY TUNED as I continue to journal through healing.

Be blessed.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The 2 P's

Anyone care to guess what the 2 P's are that I'm referring to? If you said POOPED (tired) and PARASITES (pimples) you would be correct. As you know I've been steaming and applying the clay daily and I looked at my face today, and thought I saw some improvement...and then I saw THEM - PIMPLES; which, if you've read my blog previously, you know that April enlightened us and said that these are actually parasites coming through the skin. So yup, I'm doing very good with the releasing of toxins.  I am still extremely tired so this post is almost done.

I did receive one compliment today - my student teacher complimented on my complexion looking lighter and my skin appearing more radiant. Everyone else is looking at me as if I'm disappearing before their very eyes LOL. I know that I'm thin but I'll take thin and healthy over fat and sick any day.

I do want to share that I've lost an additional pound, which totals 6 pounds lost so far. It seems like my weight loss is dwindling down, which is great! The detox says you'll lose between 10-50 pounds so maybe I'll only lose 10. Right now I'm at 129 lbs and my clothes (the size 2's and 4's that I was blessed with) are beginning to get loose so you know what that means...I'll be cinching my belts even tighter and using safety pins. What?! Did you think I meant that I would be purchasing new clothes? Negative. God will allow me to make due with what I have until He again blesses me with more.

Well folks, that's all. I'm getting ready to drink my activated charcoal, apply my clay, and get ready for bed.

Toodles and STAY TUNED as I continue to journal through healing.

Be blessed.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Mood Swings = Whoo hoo!

I know I had to leave my last post prematurely as my emotions were on 10 at that moment. My poor husband... He always gets the brunt of it SMH.

Just in case there are any new readers that's not familiar with detoxing, mood swings are actually a good thing - it's an indicator that the detox is releasing emotional toxins. It's also common to experience a healing crisis - if you've suffered from pain or ailments of any sort, they generally get worse while detoxing as you're releasing physical toxins as well. But believe you me, it gets much, much better. In order to get to the victory on the other side, you have to go through the struggle, sacrifice, and pain.

In addition to emotional toxins, I'm also currently experiencing the release of physical toxins - headache, extreme fatigue, soreness of muscles...oh yeah, it all comes with the detoxing territory.

April commented on my FB link that it seems like this time around it's more intense and I'm hoping that means the results are going to be even more outstanding than before; which is hard to believe because I've experienced TRUE HEALING and have been feeling GRRRREAT!

So I'm saying Whoo Hoo to these mood swings, as I'm sitting here growling through my face mask. Yup...it's definitely time to turn in.

Night night - STAY TUNED as I continue to Journal Through Healing.

Oh and by the way, I have lost a total of 5 lbs so far...from 135 to 130 and counting.

Be blessed.

Day 3 = MOOOODY!

Well I have successfully made it through another detox day and it was pretty good until...MOOD SWINGS surfaced. I'm telling you, they didn't even kick in until about 5 o'clock this evening. I mean, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?! I was having such a blessed day. I had a plethora of fruits and veggies, as I posted my menu for today in my post last night. Then I got home and BAM! It was all she wrote...literally, I'm done writing. I can't even continue that's how bad of a mood I'm in.

I'm done.

Be blessed.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Only Day 2

Is it only Day 2? Phewww! It feels like I've been detoxing longer than that LOL. I guess because I was more tired today and was in church for most of the day as well. Despite my fatigue, today was successful as well...
  • Poops...CHECK
  • Water...CHECK
  • RAW Fruit...CHECK
  • RAW Nuts...CHECK
  • Green Smoothie...CHECK
  • Large salad...CHECK
  • Juicing...CHECK
  • Exercise...well, if you count getting my praise on in church...CHECK
  • Steaming...I'm getting to it. The water is actually boiling as I type so FUTURE CHECK
  • Clay face mask...hopefully, probably for at least 15 minutes so FUTURE CHECK
DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....................................................................................
I have lost a whoppin' 3 pounds from yesterday to today. If this is the trend, then I'm on tap to losing at least another 14 pounds, as the last time I detoxed, I lost about 3 pounds each day for 3 days straight and then it tapered to about 1 pound a day. We'll see what the overall result will be this time around. 

I am more than ready for tomorrow...
  • I have a large salad consisting of kale, baby spinach, power greens, and a NEW veggie - dandelion greens and boy are they strong! But April tells me they're AWESOME for the liver.
  • I have 2 containers of fruit packed - 1 with grapes and the other with strawberries
  • I plan on eating a banana, pear, and apple on my way to work in the morning
  • I have a FRESHLY made bottle of orange juice and a combo juice of carrot, parsley, and apple - I MADE THEM MYSELF ;-) Care to see?????


HOMEMADE ORANGE JUICE

HOMEMADE CARROT, PARSLEY, APPLE JUICE

MY GRAPES, SALAD, AND STRAWBERRIES

I will create my green smoothie with a banana, strawberries and kale in the morning and will drink that at some point during the day.

Well, as I previously stated, I feel like a detoxing pro but today I'm a POOPED PRO so am going to steam, apply my clay face mask, and go to bed.

Stay tuned as I continue to Journal Through Healing.

Be blessed.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Detox Pro

Well, well, well, I have had a successful detoxing day thus far. I almost feel like a detox pro. It helps that this is my 3rd time around so I'm pretty familiar with the dos and don'ts, and what works for me. I understand that this is only day 1 of a 40 day journey so I'll save my victory detox pro report until then.

I woke up a little after 6 this morning and went right to the scale - I weighed 136 lbs before my 1st poop, and then pooped, and reweighed myself...135 lbs.. So my start weight is 135 lbs and I'll continue to track it daily. After my weigh in, I took my 1st formula, got dressed, and then headed to Corrado's to get my fruits and veggies for the week. Although I've been through this process before, I still refer to my detox materials from April - shopping list, menu for the week, instructions, etc. Part of being successful in this venture is making sure you have everything that you need and access to a great support system.

Here are a few resources at my disposal for a successful detox journey...

                                                    
GINGER, GRAPES STRAWBERRIES, CARROTS       KALE AND ASPARAGUS

                          
APPLES, ORANGES, PEARS                            BANANAS, PINEAPPLE


Picture
APRIL CHAPMAN - NUTRITIONIST AND HOLISTIC HEALTH PRACTITIONER www.basichealthylivingtoday.com


When I returned from Corrado's, I ate 2-3 fruits as recommended: I chose an apple, pear, and then a banana. My husband fixed my blender just in time for my detox (remember how it was resting in pieces from the last detox?) and so I made a green smoothie and it was deeelicious and it was GREEN! It was comprised of a banana, some strawberries, and a handful of kale. I told you I feel like a pro.

Here are some pics of my green smoothie in the making...

                               
                       

         

After drinking my smoothie, I continued to drink more and more water, and lots of herbal tea. I also ate a baby spinach and power green salad with sweet Italian dressing. I also ate some raw nuts and seeds as a healthy snack. Oh, and of course I had to get my nap in ;-)

Guess what else I included in my 1st detox day?! I steamed my face for 15 minutes and followed it with a clay face mask and peroxide pat. See? There goes that detox pro feeling again.

Here are some pics...

                                                 
BEFORE STEAMING                                                AFTER STEAMING
                   
                                             
      APPLICATION OF CLAY                                    FACE MASK DRY   

I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE AFTER THE PROCESS...LO SIENTO (MY APOLOGIES)


Even though I truly I believe I began with a bang, there's more that I want to incorporate on tomorrow like juicing and exercise. Aside from not including those 2 very important variables, I would say that I'm off to a great start.

Now I'm getting ready to drink my activated charcoal and turn in for the night. Oh...I forgot to mention that I started drinking the activated charcoal last night so that my body could empty out this morning, which it did.

Well, that's about all folks. I will continue to keep you posted as I journal through healing so STAY TUNED...

Be blessed.


Friday, November 30, 2012

Back on the Detox Trail

Well everyone, I'M BAAAAAAACKKKK!! After taking a 3 month hiatus, I'm getting ready to begin my 3rd full body detox and I am excited.

I currently weigh 135 pounds and am not concerned about losing too much weight. My goal is to maintain and ensure optimal health.

Ok, here's the plan:
• I begin detoxing at 7am tomorrow morning
• I will end the full body cleanse on December, 20,2012 - just in time for Christmas YAYYYYY!!!
• I will take between 1-2 weeks off
• I will begin a 20 day liver cleanse on or around January 2nd
• I will have my primary care physician and rheumatologist to rerun all of my previous blood work, so that I will have the printed proof of the healing that God blessed me with in June.

I will be blogging daily to keep you informed every step of the way. April Chapman is still my holistic nutritionist and her business is getting bigger and better. Please check her out at www.basichealthylivingtoday.com.

I look forward to writing again on tomorrow as I continue to Journal Through Healing.

Be blessed.

Monday, October 15, 2012

My 1 Year Anniversary

Wow! I can't believe that it's been a whole month since I last wrote; I've gone from writing daily to writing monthly LOL. I thank  God that I am still doing, looking, and feeling GREAT! I have returned back to work and as other educators know, our job is not your normal 9-5; our job starts well before the sun comes up, and continues way into the wee hours of the night. But I am thankful for my job and the opportunities that God is blessing me with as a result of it.

Ok, those of you that have faithfully followed my blog know the intense details of my struggle and how God has healed and delivered. Well, He has brought me to a landmark that I am so thankful for:

OCTOBER 13TH MARKED MY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY -
On this exact date 1 year ago, I was taken out of work for 3 months WITHOUT PAY; was on 12 different medications, weighed 198 pounds, was in excruciating pain and could barely walk or move for that matter; and was depressed and miserable. BUT GOD!!!! It's hard to believe that exactly 1 year later I am back to work, on NO MEDICATIONS, weigh 135 pounds, in NO PAIN, and am walking in my 5 inch heels, and running if I feel like it. YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT GOD AIN'T GOOD. And I don't care what your situation looks like...IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL GOD SAYS IT'S OVER.

My husband and I are going through a situation now, but we are holding onto God's faithfulness, and we are forever reminded about my healing. 7 years of a sickness that now I can say that I'm healed from. God is able in ALL things and I will continue to trust Him. God gave my husband and I this word a couple of months ago, "Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:36.  We are determined to wait with patient endurance until God's will is done. He allowed me to wait for 7 years for my healing and He was with me throughout; and I know that He will continue to be in the midst of all that He allows us to go through.

Be encouraged in whatever place you find yourself in. God has not forgotten and He WILL bring you through.

Please check out April Chapman's website at www.basichealthylivingtoday.com. I thank God that He is blessing her business and allowing others to be healed, just as God has healed me...and He will heal you too.

Be encouraged.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Just Know That I'm Still Good

Hello all,

It has been awhile since I've written but just know that I'm good - I still look and feel great. I have embraced the new "little" me and am excited to continue living the healthy me that I've become.

I will be ordering the Blood Cleanse from April sometime in the near future but in all seriousness, I am worried about losing more weight - the last time I completed the blood cleanse I lost 8 pounds and I honestly can't afford to lose another ounce. As it stands, one of my sisters already told me that I have "noassatall" (if you don't know what that means, break apart the 1st 2 letters, then the next 3 letters, followed by the next 2 letters, and lastly the last 3 letters). Yup - and she's absolutely right but I'm not worried about it, again, I look, and more importantly I feel great so I'll take it!

Until I begin the blood cleanse followed by the liver cleanse, my posts will be sparingly - I am back to work and the beginning of the school year is always hectic. My load usually lightens up as I become more and more acclimated with my class but I have a sneaky suspicion that this year is going to be a little different. My objective is for my students to show more and more GROWTH and I've been researching a lot of different strategies and ideas in order to help them along this journey; and that means a lot more planning on my part. So just in case you don't hear from me for a lonnnnnnnnnnng while, just know that God's got me and that I'm still flourishing in good health.

So my journey began as a 60 day detoxing journey and this hasn't changed. however, my journey just has some excursions along the way; with some being more extended than others.

I thank you all for your continued support and I will continue to keep you posted as I JOURNAL THROUGH HEALING.

  • Oh, by the way, my mom began her 2nd round of detoxing but this time she's doing the capsules as opposed to the liquid and let me tell you - she is pooping like 7-10 times daily. She lost 6 pounds in 2 days and while I'm worried and telling her that she needs to call April, she's ecstatic about it.  
  • My older sister began her 1st round of detoxing by way of the capsules and tomorrow will be a full week for her, so I will touch base with her to see how she feels, and what she's observed so far.
  • My parents' neighbors (a husband and wife) also began detoxing this week so I can't wait to hear about their progress as well.
  • Several of my co-workers have inquired about the detox and I have given them April's website and contact information as well.
It's not too late for you to take that 1st step to better health by visiting April Chapman's website and scheduling your free 20 minute phone consultation. The direct link to scheduling your consult is http://www.basichealthylivingtoday.com/products--services.html, scroll down to Initial Consultation and underneath you will see Free-Schedule Here. Click on it and schedule yourself for 20 minutes of much needed you time.

Be blessed.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Did I Forget to Mention...

I'm not sure if I mentioned in my last post, when I was sharing about the fear I felt with the surfacing of a rash and having some swelling. Well BOTH MY RASH AND MY SWELLING ARE GONE! I had a moment of fear, doubt, and anxiety BUT GOD INTERVENED and reminded me of His goodness, His mercy, His love, His grace, and His healing. God is not a man that He should lie, and what He has for me is for me.

So be encouraged - don't pay attention to what "it" looks like, or how "it" feels", but TRUST GOD and have the FAITH to know that He's got you. "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)

I asked God for His forgiveness, and I will rebuke fear, doubt, and anxiety, the moment that they knock on my door - they will not be allowed to come in.

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD.

Trust Him and know that He's working "it" all out, whatever your "it" is. Have Faith and know that "it" will work out for your good. If God said it, it will come to pass.

Be blessed.

Lyrics to Richard Smallwood's song FAITH

Verse 1:
There are times when adversity
seems to over take your life.
Doubts and fears seems to cloud your mind
and confusion's all inside.
But there's a message for you my friend
and I know this word is true,
just have the faith of a mustard seed
and there's nothing you cannot do.


Chorus:
(If you have the faith) you can move mountains.
(just keep the faith) nothing is impossible.
(hold on to your faith) you shall overcome
(according to your faith) just believe and it shall be done.
Verse 2:
Your river may seem too hard to cross
and your mountains too hard to climb,
but you can conquer your circumstance.
If you keep this thought in mind:
faith is the substance of things hoped for
and the evidence of things not seen;
if you walk by faith and not by sight,
you can realize your dream.

Chorus:
(If you have the faith) you can move mountains.
(just keep the faith) nothing is impossible.
(hold on to your faith) you shall overcome
(according to your faith) just believe and it shall be done.

Bridge:(Faith) faith,
(faith) gotta have it.
(Faith) faith,
(faith) really need it.
(Faith) without faith it's impossible
(it's impossible to please the Lord)

Chorus:
(If you have the faith) you can move mountains.
(just keep the faith) nothing is impossible.
(hold on to your faith) you shall overcome
(according to your faith) just believe and it shall be done.


Vamp:
Faith (3x),
mustard seed

Lyrics from: http://www.elyrics.net/read/r/richard-smallwood-lyrics/faith-lyrics.html


If you would like to listen to this song click here: http://www.elyrics.net/read/r/richard-smallwood-lyrics/faith-lyrics.html

Sorry...It's Been Awhile and Not With Good Reason

I have to be honest, apart of me hasn't written in awhile because I returned back to work and have been extremely busy. But a bigger part of me hasn't written because of fear...yes, fear. FEAR TYE? What you talkin' 'bout Willis? Look, I am a child of the most High God, and I know that He hasn't given me the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) but in my flesh, there are times when I (like many of us) allow just a shadow of fear and doubt to appear. The victory at that point comes when you rebuke it as soon as you feel that spirit coming on, and not allowing it to take up residence...well, I allowed it to take up residence. It wasn't a continual residence but I did allow it to come; I would cry a little, then rebuke it...it would show up again, I would cry some more, and then rebuke it. TYE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Here's what I'm talking about...

I did a 3-day full day training from Tuesday to Thursday of last week (Aug 28th-30th) in order to get myself acclimated to the nuances of the upcoming school year, and to just become remotivated for what was on the horizon...I still felt and looked great. On Friday, I decided to go to my school for a full day in order to begin setting up my classroom. I was literally on my feet (I shared this with you) from 8am to 4pm in my classroom, and then had a hair appointment that night which ended up having me out from 8:30pm until 4:00am the next morning. When I got home, my feet were so swollen. I texted April and she said that it could have been a couple of things:
- she asked if I had been on my feet a lot...CHECK
- she said it could be water retention

She advised that I get some celery and juice it - this is good for water retention.  She also said to drink water, and to listen to my body and REST! I haven't seen much rest since I've returned to work but am listening and going to bed (be it 7:30pm) when my body tells me too.

So the swelling had actually continued into this work week but what I didn't mention is that along with the swelling, a rash surfaced. Now I've gotten rashes throughout the course of my healing journey but it was more along the lines of a bite of some sort, which went away. Well, at one point it didn't appear that this rash was going to go away, it seemed like it was here to stay, and going to morph into those same kind of rashes that I would get when I was sick. Of course it didn't help that this was coinciding with my return to work and all I could think about was the fact that I would have to be out of work sick again - especially when I know my adminstrators are scared of this very thing as well. So, I allowed doubt and fear to cloud my mind (as Richard Smallwood mentions in his song "Faith").  I didn't tell anyone, I just kind of went through the motions on my own. My husband noticed my ankles swelling and became very concerned - this of course was the icing on an already doubtful and fearful cake. He just told me to be careful and not to overdo it. In fact, he was so concerned that he told me not to worry about my duties at home for a few months, and to only concentrate on work, so that I could rest when I needed to, and to take care of my health.

I reached out to April on yesterday to inform her that someone would be reaching out to her regarding detoxing. Being the sister that she is, she texted back, "oh OK. Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Well, I decided to share with her eveything that I had been experiencing the last week or so, and how I had been a little scared. This is what she texted back, and for anyone of you that has been folowing my blog thus far, this is very important:
"First things first...lets arrest fear. No matter what goes on with your body, you've come too far to deal with fear. I've been doing a lot of study lately with the emotional and spiritual root causes of disease. Did you know the rashes are rooted in fear, anxiety and stress? Many of us have surpressed fears and anxieties that manifest physically. So when one pops up ask yourself "what am I afraid of. What am I anxious about? What is causing me stress? Fluid retention also had the same spiritual root cause - fear, anxiety and stress. Glaucoma and asthma also share the same root cause."

This was a WOW moment for me because in my flesh I wanted to feel some type of way, but my spirit immediately kicked in and revealed to me that I did have some subconsious fears and things I was anxious about. I said that I was casting my cares all on Him, and truly believed that I was - I've been fasting and praying about some things since June - but I guess I've also been surpressing some things that have been coming to the surface all summer long and I didn't recognize the root. When I came to this revelation, this is what April said next:
"Well consider this: Faith and Fear cannot occupy the same space. Its easier said than done. You trusted God to heal you. You weren't afraid to stop your meds. You weren't afraid to try something new. Pull from that strength and faith and trust God to work on your behalf. Its out of your control and fear and anxiety WILL affect your health."

What an "AH HAH" moment that was. Wow! I believe that April may be walking into another gift (wink) but I truly thank God for her. WE all need friends like this - who aren't afraid to keep us in check, or to encourage us in the Lord and to remind us of what He says, and what He's already done. Satan is cunning and if we're not careful, we will revert right back to the place that God has delivered us from, and what kind of witness will that be? I'm thankful that even though I did allow fear and anxiety to cloud my healing for a week, in His mercy, God revealed His truth and allowed me to once again walk in His victory.

I AM HEALED..I AM HEALED...I AM HEALED...I AM HEALED...I AM HEALED...I AM HEALED 

I asked God for it in 2008, He tested my faith on December 18, 2011, and healed my body in June of 2012. It's already done in the spirit and in the physical so I need to continue walking in this healing daily, and not allow anything that I physically see or experience to cloud this truth. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). God has already shown me what He will do if I have faith that He will do it. Therefore I'm going to continue walking in that faith.

Be encouraged...if you are on a healing quest and ready to be healed, stand on your "now faith" and take the first step to becoming medication free, worry free, pain free, and just FREE FREE. Visit April Chapman's website at www.basichealthylivingtoday.com and schedule yourself for a free 20 minute consultation.  I believe she may still have some 20 minute slots available today. The direct link to the scheduling page is http://www.basichealthylivingtoday.com/products--services.html. Scroll down and find "Initial Consultation", click on "Free-Schedule Here".

I thank God for a friend in Jesus, who has allowed me to have a friend and sister like April.  I hope that all of you will commit to your healing and know that when fear, doubt, and anxiety show up, so does sickness, defeat, and ultimately betrayal of the One that you know will get you through and not only get you through, but KEEP YOU THROUGH. God has not brought me this far to leave me, and I need to remember this and rebuke the hand of the enemy the second he shows up.

Be blessed.

Monday, September 3, 2012

All Good in the Eatin'/Juicin' Neighborhood

It's been 2 days since I've finished the detox and it's been GRRRRREAT!  I've been eatin' good and juicin' good in the neighborhood. On my 1st day detox-free, you can probably guess what my 1st warm meal was...you guessed it... SALMON!!!! It was delicious if I must say so myself:


Silverbrite wild-caught Salmon with garlic red beans and rice

Besides eating good, I've been using my juicer more and more and let me tell you, I've been enjoying some of the best juice that I've ever had in my life. April sent me some juicing recipes and they are simply scrumptious. The first was called the Bromelain Special, which consisted of a whole pineapple with the skin (minus the top) and 3 peeled oranges. It was truly hmmmm hmmmm goood! Here are some pics:





When I tell you that this juice was tasty, it was. But for some reason, my body reaches its limit with pineapple. I don't know if I have an allergy of some sort or what the problem is but after I've eaten pineapples, after awhile, my body will reject them and I literally can't eat anymore - my tongue begins to burn and it literally hurts to eat.

The next juice that I made was called Passion Cocktail, which consists of 3 strawberries, a large chunk of pineapple, and a bunch of black grapes.  Again, deeelicious:





This was also very good - it made me think of being in the Islands. Unfortunately, because I had already reached my pineapple limit, I couldn't enjoy it as much, because with each taste my tongue felt like it was about to fall off. I don't think I'll be consuming pineapples for awhile; I need to give my body a break.

I left a little of each juice in the fridge hoping that my husband would want to taste some. So far, NOT so good. I told him that I would make a deal with him - if he tried my juice and didn't like it, I would never offer him any of my homemade juices or smoothies again...it didn't work. I won't give up - one day I'll trick him into tasting it; I'll make him think that I bought it from the store and when he tells me how good it is, that's when I'll reveal that his wife made it :-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  Shhhhhhh, it'll be our little secret ;-)

If you noticed, I included another element to my juicer this time:


I added a plastic bag to the large pulp container so that when I'm finished juicing, I can just throw away the bag - this is one less part to clean.

Let me tell you, this juicer is one of the best gifts that I could have received during this time in my healing. This is just going to allow my healing to reach the next level. GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

Well, tomorrow is my official 1st day back to work, even though I've been attending workshops since last week. I want to be as rested as possible so I am going to turn in. But follow me as I continue to JOURNAL THROUGH HEALING.

Be blessed.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Last Day: Whole 'Lot of Juicin' Goin' On

WHOOO HOOO! I've made it to my 20th day which is the last day of my full body detox. I've already purchased my Salmon for dinner tomorrow night. I guess because today is the last day, I didn't keep track of POOPS, or anything else for that matter. That's also probably because I had a loooooooooooooooooong day yesterday, and when I say it was looooooooooooooooong, that's exactly what I mean. I'm in back-to-school mode so I arrived at my school at 8am in order to begin setting up my classroom. Wanna know what time I left? 4pm and that was only because they kicked us out at that time. I got a lot accomplished though, but I was literally on my feet THE ENTIRE TIME and I'm paying for it today...my ankles are swollen. That wasn't the end of my day. Let's just put it this way: after being on my feet for 8 hours straight, I had some other things to do and didn't get back in the house until...anyone care to take a guess????? 4am...yup, you read right, I didn't get in the house until 4 o'clock in the morning. I was seeing double by then and could only make my way to bed. You'd think I'd be able to sleep in after that loooooooooooooooooong day, right? NOT - I was up and about before 10am cleaning and then had to go food shopping; needless to say I'M POOPED!

But I wasn't too pooped to try out my new juicer that my fairy health mother (April) bought and had shipped to me. I took that bad boy out of the box, washed all of its parts, and was ready to juice my very own juice:


Ready, Set, JUICE!

It looks real clean, shiny, and new right? Well wait until you see the next few pics - it was put to good juice use:





Here was my very 1st homemade juice - carrot, parsley, and apple

I actually made the above juice in between shopping trips: I went to Corrado's to get all of my fresh fruits and veggies, came home, put most of them away, and made my juice with the other ingredients. Then, I figured that I was already on a juicin' roll so I may as well continue...so I did.





Oh yeah, I was on a juicin' roll. I only made carrot, parsley, and apple juice today and bottled some up for tomorrow. Remember when I said that I wanted to incorporate some sort of carrot juice into my daily routine, well, I'm back on it.  Tomorrow I think I will try some other combinations that April sent to me; oh yeah, she's full of resources.

Even though today was my very first time juicing anything, I began to feel like a juicing queen...ok, maybe a juicing princess. But I will truly be on the throne once my husband commits to drinking some of it. When I was first experimenting with making smoothies, I attempted to make a strawberry smoothie in my smoothie maker and it wasn't very good - very watery and bland. So of course, this is what he remembers and he's not trying to add to his memory collection. One of these days though, he will try either a homemade smoothie or juice and it will be good - THEN, AND ONLY THEN WILL I BE A JUICING QUEEN - my husband is very picky and a hard sell.

Well, I am extremely tired as I pointed out earlier, so I'm getting ready to turn in. But not before I encourage you to commit to a healthier you. Detoxing isn't the end-all-be-all to optimal health, however it is a first step; if you're willing to do the work and continue on a healthier path, then you will feel and look better than you've  probably ever looked and felt before. Reach out to April Chapman by visiting her website at www.basichealthylivingtoday.com. See what she has to offer and take that first step, you deserve that much don't you think? Here's to a healthier feeling, healthier looking, healthier thinking, healthier being... YOU! Cheers (put up your imaginary cup of water and drink to that).

Be blessed.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Day 18: SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE!

Good evening all, what a blessed day that I had today. God continues to show Himself faithful. The icing on an already delicious cake, is a SURPRISE that was awaiting for me when I got home today. What a blessing and so unexpected. Anyone care to guess what it is??????
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Well, before I give away the big reveal, let me tell you some anecdotal notes:

  • I had 2 POOPS
  • I felt like I wasn't eating enough fruit with my broken blender and all, so today I ate some strawberries and an apple and my body thanked me.
  • I lost yet another pound - I was at a steady 130 lb for quite a few days, so I thought my weight loss was over, but I guess not. So now I'm a whoppin' 129 lb. I still look and feel great so I'm not complaining a bit.
  • I've been drinking Almond Milk so that I get my calcium and it makes a difference as well
  • In order to get some protein, I've been eating nuts - my ultimate favorite are PISTACHIOS...yummy!
Ok, have you given up on what my SURPRISE is?????????????????????????????????????????????????? Well, here goes nothin'...

I get home from a long day and began eating my fruit and salad. All of a sudden, I notice a box by the front door. I ask my husband if he knows what it is and of course his response was, "open it!" Made sense, so I did. I couldn't tell what it was at first because there was a cardboard top covering what was inside. I removed it and there's a white piece of paper. Of course I'm looking for a sender's name or address and the only thing that it showed was the following:

Ship From:
...USA (I don't want to give the 1st part away)
19400 S. WESTERN AVENUE

TORRANCE, CA 90501
USA
TEL (310) 755-3000
TEL (310) 755-3033

This is all that I noticed at first because I kept flipping the paper over and over again, in hopes of finding a message or who the "true" sender was.  So I remove the paper and go into the box. I simply could not believe my eyes. Inside was something that I've been talking about since I first began detoxing in May, and now today, God has blessed me with my very own. Any concrete answers yet??????????????

Give up? Well, here is what I was blessed with today:





MY VERY OWN JUICER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now guess who blessed me with it?! None other than the angel that God sent my way, APRIL CHAPMAN. Can you believe it? I couldn't. She continues to bless me. GOD IS GREAT AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED! When I tell you that I praised God and danced right in the middle of my living room floor, that's what I meant. She did not have to do that. I am so thankful. I am purchasing some carrots, parsley, apples, and whatever else she recommends. That just reminded me - Mrs. Jones bought me some books on juicing a few months ago and now I can use them. TO GOD BE THE GLORY! God has truly sent people into my life to bless me, and I pray that God showers blessings on them in return, and allows me to be a blessing to others as well.

GOD IS GOOD!

Please visit April Chapman's site at www.basichealthylivingtoday.com and allow her to guide you to a healthier you.

Well, that's all for tonight.

I will continue to keep you posted as I JOURNAL THROUGH HEALING.

Be blessed.