Alternative Health

Real Weight Loss

/ Gina / 3 Comments

I have been closely tied to this topic for 14 years now. With each new pregnancy every other year, I gain between 40-70 lbs. After each baby then, I lose all of it. This has not always been easy for me. The first 3, the weight came right off with no problems (with nursing, not exercise). The last 5 have been quite different. Each one was not always the same problem of why I couldn’t lose weight either. Through each experience though, I have researched, prayed, and learned more about how to heal my body completely and wholly so that it can do as it was designed to do – maintain a healthy weight.

Our bodies were designed to desire to maintain a homeostasis. They want to be at a reasonable weight for many reasons. I believe that achieving that weight is not the major goal. If the body is healthy, strong, and clean, it will naturally shed those unwanted pounds. So the true goal then is to become truly healthy so that the body will function optimally, with weight loss as an added bonus.

Many factors influence the metabolism of stored fat. There isn’t a fad diet out there that is going to work for the duration of a life time. The only true way to achieve lasting weight loss is through a real foods, nourishing lifestyle. Toxins out and nutrients in. The basic and simple premise of how we become healthy. Weight loss is not only controlled by the thyroid, but also by the hypothalamus, the pancreas, the liver, the lymphatic, the small intestines, and most importantly the colon. Each part contributes particular enzymes, chemical responses, messages, and many other specialized functions that all work together to create the optimal metabolic processes.

On my 4th baby, I realized I had problems with my thyroid. After incorporating some barley grass juice and iodine, the weight came off after a few months. 5th baby came and along with her my lymphatic had grown sluggish (due to toxic overload). I then added some skin brushing and Lemongrass essential oil along with the other supplements I was taking. After several more months, the weight finally started to come off.

The 6th baby was a little trickier. The iodine I had taken before no longer was working. I started on a sea vegetable extract instead (Pure Herbs’ TW). By this time, I was full on in a WAPF style, real foods diet. I did not, however, realize that I had developed Leaky Gut Syndrome. This problem alone gave way to many other issues. Since the small intestines was now letting anything and everything through, I slowly developed colitis issues, low blood sugar/pancreas issues, parasite overload, and toxin overload.

Photo Credit

The weight had barely come off after my sixth when I became pregnant again. It was at this point, God led me to a WAPF conference in Georgia, where I was blessed to hear Liz Lipski speak on Leaky Gut. I also discovered Moringa at this conference. I was so excited about the new information. I felt like God had given me a key to unlock the next phase of my healing.

I started on the GAPS diet right away. Working closely with my naturopath, we monitored my progress and used Essential Oils, probiotics, moringa, and cod liver oil to heal my LGS. I was in my second trimester of my 7th pregnancy at this point, so I was careful as I went about healing. Even while pregnant though, I was healed of LGS in 3 months time. I still had a host of other problems to deal with, of which I was unaware.

I began healing and detoxing from the parasites, toxins, and such gently while nursing. Using activated charcoal and bentonite really helped with those. Finding out that I had low blood sugar and that my pancreas had been compromised, I began also on a sugar free, high protein diet as well to heal the pancreas. I used Orange Essential Oil on the pancreas twice a day. I also continued my other supplements. The most weight I had ever gained was during my 7th pregnancy. Having a weak pancreas and not knowing it had packed on about 75 lbs! Had I known, I would not have been eating sugar or drinking fresh milk. But alas, it was all for a purpose – to learn and share.

With the last baby, I developed major digestive issues. I tried everything to remedy this! Swedish bitters, food enzymes, raw apple cider vinegar – anything I could think of. However, it was not until after baby 8 was born that I realized all those digestive issues I had were colitis problems. Using the Comfrey Healing Salve, doing a colitis diet, using essential oils and utilizing a bio-feedback system to help identify and correct all the various issues helped heal the colitis. Joey is now 8 months old and I am completely healed of all the colitis issues. Praise God!

It has been a long road and I am not there yet, but God has been with me. Without His constant leading and guiding me to the right people, the right places, the right herbs, oils, and such, I would not have been able to heal naturally. The story is not over yet, but hopefully now that the colitis is healed, I will finally lose the rest of this baby weight.   No matter the amount of exercise I did, the weight I gained during each of my pregnancies did not seem to come off naturally as when my body had healed of its issues. Because I am usually nursing, I am not a fan of calorie restriction or heavy exercise – both of which would compromise my milk supply. Happily though, I have not had to do either to lose the baby weight. When my body was nourished and healed enough, it comes off naturally. Not to say I am not a fan of being active – I have eight kids, mind you. But I do believe the body will work the way it was designed when we nourish and detoxify it. God is an amazing designer!

Natural “Medicine” Cabinet Part 2

/ Gina / 6 Comments

Last year I wrote about some of the bare essentials I like to have on hand for emergencies. Since then, I have still been researching, learning about other herbs and trying out different products as various health trials come our way. With natural remedies it is best to remember 2 things: 1) Hit it hard (be consistent – taking something every hour or less) and 2) Hit it early (get on the herbal ammo as soon as you feel slightly off).  Here are some more herbal/natural remedies I am thankful for.

Dr. Christopher’s Anti-Plague: The name has changed to Garlic Immune Formula; but it is powerful. On the link is a video of Dr. Christopher himself. You can find many of his talks on youtube and his formulas are readily available. I just purchased the complete 2 volume work he put together of his formulas and herbal syllabus. What an amazing job God had for this man as he revived so much of ancient herbal wisdom.

Cayenne Pepper: This is in my travel emergency bag. The powder form I keep on hand to stop bleeding instantly. It does sting a bit on the skin around the wound, but it’s only for a moment. Using the cayenne in a tincture form will stop a heart attack, open up clogged arteries, and improve circulation. Excellent for use of people with varicose veins and any other circulatory problem. It is also anti-microbial and is in the anti-plague formula.

Cold Tea: These easy to find items make a great stand by at the first sign of a cold/flu.

  • Fresh ginger, chopped or grated
  • Fresh garlic, chopped
  • Fresh horseradish, chopped
  • Raw honey
  • Raw apple cider vinegar
  • Fresh organic lemon, sliced
  • Filtered water

~ Just add as many of the above ingredients as you can find and drink it as a tea all day long. Very effective if used consistently and at the beginning of a sickness.

Stomach Flu Tea:  If someone in your house has caught a stomach bug, making up a gallon of this tea will not only help them get over it faster, but keep everyone else in the house from catching it.

  • 3 parts red raspberry leaf
  • 1 part peppermint leaf

Make into a strong tea and sweeten with raw honey. Drink it all the day long.

Healing Herbs

Comfrey Salve: The amazing “bone-knit” herb has been used in my house on countless times. I use Dr. Christopher’s formula from his “Complete Tissue and Bone Repair”. I made up a large pot of olive oil infused with all the herbs. I then used the oil with some beeswax to make it into a salve. I take with me wherever I go! Great for any structural problem from pulled muscles to broken bones. I use this along with lavender essential oil on many bumps and bruises especially on the toddlers and little ones who are always banging into something. It’s rough being small!

A book I highly recommend for more easy, affordable remedies is “Be Your Own Doctor“. She has lots of testimonials sprinkled throughout the book and the format is very reader friendly. I have gleaned much from her experiences.

I hope these remedies bless your family as they have mine time and time again. Stay tuned – more remedies to come!

 

** Please remember “This information is to be used for educational purposes only and has been solely based on the historic and traditional use of herbs.  This information has not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration.”

If Mama is Healthy, Everyone is Healthy

/ Gina / 2 Comments

Over the years, I have been amazed at how my health affects the health of my children – not just the ones I carry in the womb, but the ones I nurture on a day to day basis. Without proper nutrient absorption, a host of problems occur:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Lowered Immune System (picking up all kinds of viruses and harmful bacteria)
  • Susceptible to Parasites (causing its own host of problems from mal-nutrition to cancer)
  • Feeling Overwhelmed/Shortened Temper/Edgy
  • Migraines/Headaches
  • Nausea, Diarrhea, Constipation, Heartburn
  • Overwhelming Tiredness/Lack of Motivation (even to get out of bed in the morning)
  • Forgetfulness, Brain Fog
  • And more…

These are all signs your internal body is trying to communicate that something is very wrong. None of the above are “normal”. They are not in God’s original design for how our bodies were created to function.

When I am feeling anxious, overwhelmed or short-tempered, I cannot properly interact, train, or guide my children in their studies or in familial relationships. Freaking out about unimportant, trite happenings, I am rendered ineffectual because of my current health status. Our health greatly and overwhelming influences our feelings, emotions, mental state and even our connection to God. As mothers our health will ultimately determine whether the child you carry in your womb will be strong and vibrant. They inherit all kinds of problems during pregnancy that can be avoided if we nourish and heal our bodies, starting with the digestive system.

How does this all work? All health begins in the gut. In the digestive system nutrients are absorbed and delegated to other body systems and organs. This system also processes and expels toxins, harmful microbes, and parasites to keep the body clean and running smoothly without outside disturbances. If the gut is compromised, health begins to deteriorate. Toxins, parasites, and harmful pathogens enter into other body systems where they cause damage and malfunction. Without the right nutrients being absorbed into the system, each organ, each cell suffers, grows weaker and more susceptible to foreign invaders.

How do we weaken our digestive systems? Before I was forced into “being healthy” (I say forced, because the way I was going was leading to so many problems, that I had to find a solution that worked; not just for me, but for my children as well), I ate processed foods, dined out, consumed fast food, cooked with aluminum and poor quality  cookware, vaccinated some of my children and was vaccinated myself, used pharma drugs and birth control pills, ate industrial meats, soy, and dairy. The list goes on. All of these harmful practices have had their part in weakening my digestive system. I say all this to give hope. If I can clean up my body, nourish each cell, and birth 8 children naturally without compromising their health or mine (but rather improving); then it can be done!

 

How do I turn my health around? The simple answer is: 1) detox and 2) nourish. Getting the toxins out, and getting the nutrients in is the way to heal the body. God designed our bodies to heal themselves. What happens when you cut your finger? It heals, does it not? We are fearfully and wonderfully made. The same kind of healing goes on internally as well. If we give our body the right tools, and remove the hindrances, the body will heal itself.

What does a detox look like? Cleaning up the body should be a layered approach. The villains to be eradicated are: heavy metals, parasites, candida, and toxins (this includes anything artificial as well as hormones and other body made products that have gone toxic because they were not properly absorbed or utilized).

There are several ways to go about this: going on a juice fast, taking supplements, and ultimately changing your lifestyle and diet. If you are able to go on a juice fast, this is a great way to reboot and jump start your detox and healing agents. Juice fasting resets your hypothalamus and other masters in the body to kick into gear and begin the healing process. It sends a message into your body that it no longer has to be on the defensive, survival mode; but now it can clean, heal and rebuild.

Supplements I like for detoxing are: Dr. Schultze or Dr. Christopher’s detoxes (for heavy metals and toxins); Nature’s Sunshine Mega-Chel (for heavy metals), Bulk Herb Store’s Detox + (for toxins and heavy metals), Mountain Meadow’s ParaRid (for parasites), Diometreus Earth (for parasites), Colloidal Silver or Molecular Silver (for stored viruses from vaccines and also in parasites; and molecular silver for candida).

Things to keep in mind while detoxing: 1) Drink lots of water. You will be flushing out enormous amounts of highly toxic stuff that has been cultivating in your body systems for years. In order to flush it out effectively and not have it get “stuck” along the way to create more problems in other organs, drinking tons of water is imperative. 2) Must have several bowel movements a day. Once again, you’re flushing out lots of toxic stuff, and need to be sure that it’s actually moving out of the body. The colon might be a little sluggish and need help for a while until it is rebuilt. During this time, you can do salt water enemas, drink a quart of salt water in the morning, drink Smooth Move tea, take Swedish Bitters, and if nothing else works – take cascara sagrada. That will move anything.

Nourishing the Body: The second part of cleaning up the body is to be sure the foods you’re now taking in are nourishing and not harming any more. Read up on eating a real foods diet. There are lots of real food blogs out there. Check the resource page here for some places to start. Getting some high quality superfoods like moringa, super berries (like goji) or fermented cod liver oil go a long way in supplying the body with the nutrients it needs to repair and rebuild.

After almost 8 years on this journey to better health, I am continually reminded how little we truly understand here on this side. So many stories I could share of how God has led our family to heal various problems/issues (even inherited ones) – almost daily! But I will say, that everything, and I mean everything that I learn only strengthens my resolve and conviction of the kinds of foods, attitudes, philosophies, personal care, household items, and wellness tools I use in our home. We are stewards of everything we have been given – to me this also includes not only our whole selves (body, mind, and soul), but also the earth and His creations.

Take Charge of Your Health. I am no health professional, and this isn’t medical advice; this is my experience and I hope it inspires you to do your own research, pray and decide on the best course of action to improve the quality of living for yourself and ultimately the ones you love the most.

*Note that detoxing is not recommended while pregnant or nursing. I will be doing a special post on what to do during that time that has proven safe for me during each of my pregnancies. 

 

Digestive Issues During Pregnancy

/ Gina / Leave a comment

Each pregnancy seems to bring about its own cluster of health challenges. I say challenges, because I have found them to be just that. A difficult time that forces me to do more research, try different ways to heal, pray for answers, and focus on the positives instead of “complaining” to myself and God. This being my 8th pregnancy, I have dealt with all kinds of discomforts – starting with my low thyroid to poor circulation, to pre-diabetic conditions, gallstones to digestive problems. I have with God’s help and grace healed most of the conditions I have faced – through His provisions in nature only. I do have weakened areas that I still have to stay on top of through supplementation (like my thyroid – I take TW from Pure Herbs, an herbal sea vegetable tincture). One day, if God permits, when I am not nursing or pregnant, I plan to do a juice fast and help speed the healing on any other weakened areas. But all in God’s time. Each precious life is well worth the short pains and challenges I have overcome.

With every new adventure, God gives new perspective, and a compassion and empathy for others in similar conditions that I would not have had prior. I do believe that every experience God permits our way is not only for our benefit and betterment, but then to use to help those around us. In this spirit, I would like to share what has worked for me and the symptoms and causes for some digestive issues experienced this pregnancy.

At the beginning of the pregnancy, I attended a WAPF conference in Georgia, where I was first introduced to the Leaky Gut Syndrome. I listened intently to the talk given about gluten, celiac, and this Leaky Gut issue. It impacted me so greatly, and I felt so impressed that this was a major cause of many of our family’s digestive sensitivities and allergies, that I put together a workshop and formed a juice fast for our natural health group. (For more information, please check out the link for the notes.)

I put myself on the GAPS diet for about 2 months, while I also took LOTS of probiotics, food enzymes, and fermented cod liver oil/butter oil. We also juiced several times a day, and had soup as much as possible, from homemade stock. We also prayed and worked on releasing toxic gluten from our systems.

This made a huge difference in my own health and for those in my home; but also for the ones who went on the juice fast in our health group. They all experienced healing and cleansing; feeling great at its completion and looking forward to doing another one.

After experiencing this, God sent me through another trial of indigestion. I couldn’t figure out why I was experiencing such terrible cramping, gassiness, and pains in my stomach area each day in the early evening. After some muscle testing, we found I had h. pylori in the stomach that had done some damage. Getting rid of that with colloidal silver, I now was dealing with low hydrochloric acid (HCL).

HCL is very important to digestion. Without proper levels you can’t absorb minerals and other vital nutrients from the foods that you eat. And even a couple days of little mineral absorption wreaks havoc on all the body systems. For me this showed up in my thyroid weakening again such that I had to triple the amount of supplementation for it. I also started gaining almost a pound a day while we were trying to figure out what was going on! Any extra weight put on during pregnancy just makes it that much more uncomfortable and difficult to get around. I definitely wanted to resolve this!

I had already incorporated taking probiotics each day. This is very helpful in encouraging good stomach digestion. I also started taking a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar in the morning and in the evening. I got some HCL supplements from Nature’s Sunshine (called PDA). I continued taking my food enzymes when needed. I even bought some Swedish bitters to help out. I found a dry mix of the herbs online, and am making my own, which should be ready next week. The herb safflower also helps aid in digestion and the production of HCL. So, I have taken this in capsule form (through Nature’s Sunshine). These all will aid in stomach acid production and healing the stomach lining to produce its own proper amount.

So while I am not out of the woods yet, these steps are greatly helping me to improve and heal the low stomach acid issue. Many pregnant women experience heartburn or low stomach acid. The misinformation that is out there says that it is caused by too much stomach acid, and the remedy is antacids. This only makes the problem worse in the long run. Antacids hinder the stomach lining from producing HCL, which of course will only make the condition worse. The problem is that the pressure from the baby, a pinched nerve, a misalignment in the spinal area, or even the bacteria h. pylori (among other causes like taking birth control pills, antacids, or antibiotics) can cause low stomach acid. It takes prayer and patience to find the root cause, fix it, and then begin healing and repairing; all the meanwhile supplementing until the production is back to normal.

I will continue to post any other helpful methods I experience along my road to maintaining a healthy pregnancy. God has been good! This will be my 4th home birth. I love that God introduced me to natural childbirth through a good friend. It has made all the difference in experiencing the miracle of birth. Children truly are a blessing. I accept God’s timing and planning for our family and its members; knowing that motherhood is the most amazing calling, that all life can only exist from God, Who knows us before we are even conceived. Praying God’s blessing to you and yours.

Links for the Weekend

/ Gina / Leave a comment

Here’s what I am reading up on/experiencing (and the new recipes to try out for natural health items):

Bentonite Clay Toothpaste – recipe and video tutorial by Bulk Herb Store – I have been using Bentonite Clay recently to help safely remove toxins in the last months of my pregnancy. Read up on the amazing properties of this clay and how it attracts toxins and heavy metals to it, binds them, and flushes them out without having them circulate through other organs. I have also been reading testimonials of ladies using this to alleviate morning sickness! Very neat.

How to Make Stevia Syrup – by the Herb Gardener – Buying tinctured stevia is so expensive. I am really looking forward to trying this one out.

Homemade Borax-Free Dishwasher Detergent – by My Healthy Green Family – I am about out of dishwasher detergent and didn’t want to order another round from Amazon; but the last recipes I tried for dishwashers didn’t work. So, I am pretty happy to have come across this! And especially being Borax free, since Borax is toxic and not something I want to be using in my cleaning. Ordered my citric acid on Amazon tonight. Started the citrus vinegar, too. Since my boys LOVE making themselves lemonade (lemon juice, raw honey, and water), we have TONS of organic lemon rinds that I just hate to waste! What a great way to recycle them.

Lastly, we attended the Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway by Family Life Ministries this weekend. It was amazing! I had such a wonderful time with my dear husband. If one comes to your area, it is definitely worth the investment!

 

My Natural “Medicine” Cabinet Essentials

/ Gina / 1 Comment

The best time to start an emergency, natural medicine cabinet is during the times of no emergency. I started out with just a few items and as I could afford each month I would order another few things to keep it growing. Thankfully today, I have cabinets full of medicinal herbs, tinctures, supplements, essential oils, salves, and other valuable items. With much researching, reading, praying, and consulting with natural health professionals, we have not used any man made, pharma creation in years. That is not to say we haven’t had any emergencies, or that everyone never gets sick. But each experience God has allowed to come our way, He has also provided an answer for, using His natural means. Please remember that the key to using natural remedies is to hit it hard, immediately when there are symptoms and make sure you’re using the right thing for the right ailment.

Here are some things I have stocked up in our bathroom cabinet for pressing issues (click on the name for more information on uses):

  • Nature Sunshine’s Silver Shield – this is a patented colloidal silver that will not bother the good bacteria in the body. USES: topical infections and internally for viruses and other pathogens in infants and little people who can’t do other remedies yet – will kill most pathogens (yeast, virus, bacteria…) if used consistently and often.
  • Healing Salve – homemade salve with herbs that heal, for topical use on cuts, bruises, bone issues (sprains, broken, or misalignment), muscle problems (tears, pulled, or sore)… I used the basic formula from Dr. Christopher’s Complete Bone and Tissue Repair.
  • Lavender Essential Oil – every time a small one gets a big bump or “owie”, we get the lavender out. I am always amazed how quickly the swelling disappears, and the bruising is either minimal or non-existent after several applications. It is also very calming for them after a traumatic accident. Good for burns, and any other skin ailment – can be used straight, or mixed in a carrier oil first.
  • Activated Charcoal – crucial for poisonous bites, insect bites that are reactive, food poisoning.
  • Bentonite Clay – also good for internal cleansing, toxins/chemical poisoning; weekly facial detox, stomach viruses/bacteria – with symptoms of diarrhea or vomitting
  • Diatomaceous Earth – kills parasites and pathogens in digestive system; more info click here.
  • Harmonic Quad – an amazing instrument that kills any parasite (from viruses, bacteria, fungus, etc.); read more about it here. We have used this successfully for many years. It was one of the best investments we made, especially since it is such a simple solution with NO side effects to use for babies, and when I am pregnant or lactating. Created by Dr. Overman, author of “Overcoming Parasites Naturally.”
  • Black Walnut Hull powder and White Oak Bark tincture – for tooth issues. Though we have never had a cavity or tooth decay, I have not had to use them (remember that tooth decay is another symptom in the body of malnutrition or toxic overload). But I know that they do heal and restore enamel and kill bad bacteria. So, I keep them on hand. I also have an Herbal Tooth Powder by Dr. Christopher should we need it.

I also have therapeutic grade essential oils that I rely on for so many other issues. The Desk Reference by Young Living Oils is a great resource on what oils to use for what ailments. I also refer to oil-testimonials.com for what has worked for others and exactly how they used the oils. Some of my favorites are:

  • Di-Giz – a digestive blend for any digestive complaint; I have used this countless times on colicy babies, upset tummies, to kill pin worms and other parasites.
  • Peppermint – to reduce fevers, for digestion, to kill skin parasites, speed healing; I think I had a list of over 100 uses for this one oil. It’s pretty amazing.
  • Melrose (tea tree and rosemary) – kills fungus (like athlete’s foot, or other nail infections).
  • Purity – antiseptic, toxin cleanser, removes odors out of just about ANYTHING, and also purifies chemicals out of things.
  • Peace and Calming – doesn’t that just say it all?
  • Joy – YL blend that helps balance hormones (I use this during that time of the month, and also with fluctuations in pregnancy and after – it’s been such a blessing!)
  • Thieves – will kill basically any pathogen, kills parasites (even horrible ones like scabies); have used this for so many ailments, I couldn’t even list them all.

I am sure I could come up with a ton more. I love essential oils as my go to resource for natural healing. I have used them and seen them used on my family and friends to successfully treat staph infections, bladder and kidney infections, UTI’s, and countless other problems. They are so potent and work so quickly, I am so thankful that God has given them to us. They have been used dating back to Biblical times and are referenced in Scripture. Just amazing.

I also appreciate homeopathic remedies. I keep just a few on hand, like chamomilia and a teething combo by Hyland’s for the babies; and Cold Calm for serious colds/flu type issues. Homeopaths are great for infants, because they have little taste, dissolve quickly in the mouth, and of course, have NO side effects.  There are many websites explaining which ones to use and for what.

There are so many wonderful natural remedies out there, this is just the tip of it. Many helpful books have been written on the subject. Some of my favorite books on the subject are: Be Your Own Doctor, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, The Green Pharmacy, EO Desk Reference, and here are some more.

My official disclaimer: The information here is for educational purposes, it is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any disease or ailment. Do your own research. Pray for your answers. We are responsible for our own health and those entrusted to us. Do the best you can, with what you have; let God make up the difference. 

May God bless you in your endeavor to take care of your family naturally in all situations.

Restoring Digestive Health Workshop Notes

/ Gina / 2 Comments

Last night we had our Juice Fast information and Restoring Digestive Health workshop. Here is the link to the presentation slides if anyone needed them. You will probably need to open them as a google document. At the end of the slides is the resources page. Each of the supplements listed are linked, so you can click on them to see more information.

Juice Fast Information:

We will be doing a juice fast from March 20th-30th. Those interested in healing their digestive systems and thus the entire body are welcome to join! We will be juicing (or using a Blendtec/Vitamix) only fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Anytime there is hunger, JUICE! No need to be hungry on this fast; you can juice as much as you’d like. The ratio of vegetables to fruits should be about 3:1 as a general rule. (For more information on a juice fast, check out the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead on Netflix or http://www.hacres.com/ has some good recipes and ideas – please note I DO NOT support a lifestyle of raw food or veganism, but I do believe it is helpful while cleansing and detoxing as we will be doing.)

We will also be taking a probiotc 3 times a day (morning, noon and night). Since probiotics are so expensive, we decided to do a bulk buy and get the mother culture from this company, from which we will ferment our own probiotics (and save a ton of money). We will also be taking fermented cod liver oil/butter oil from Green Pastures – the only company whose CLO I trust, because they use the traditional methods of fermenting the oil instead of heating. Those not in possession of the CLO will use flax oil (Barlean’s is a good brand).

Here are the directions to making the probiotic we talked about (or you can view them from the original website here):

Fermenting SCD’s Mother Culture Food Grade Probiotic

makes about 1 gallon

Ingredients:

  • 1 gallon filtered water minus 1 1/2 cups
  • a little less than 3/4 cup unsulphered molasses
  • a little less than 3/4 cup probiotic mother culture (NOTE: the recipe calls for 3/4 cup culture to 20 cups water; since a gallon is 16 cups, that’s why we use just a little less than 3/4 cup.)

Tools Needed:

  • Large stock pot
  • candy thermometer
  • wooden spoon
  • heating pad or ceramic crock pot whose lowest temperature will go down to 100 degrees
  • thick towel
  • glass gallon jar or 2 half gallon jars
  • Test strips

Method:

  1. Pour water and molasses into the pot.
  2. Warm the water and mix molasses until thoroughly infused.
  3. Heat water to between 95-110 degrees.
  4. Pour mixture into your clean glass gallon jar.
  5. Add mother culture and stir.
  6. Either put the glass jar on the heating pad or in a crockpot, on the lowest setting, checking through out the day that the temperature does not go over 110 or below 95.
  7. If putting in the crockpot, place jar on a thick towel in the crockpot and fill the crockpot with warm water (between 95 and 110 degree F).
  8. If using the heating pad, simply cover the jar and keep an eye on the temperature.
  9. After covering the jar (s), keep in a darker place on the counter where it can ferment undisturbed for about 5 days.
  10. On the 5th day, use a tablespoon to scoop out a sampling of the probiotic and test its ph with the test strips.
  11. When the reading of the test strips is under 3.7, your probiotic is ready. If it is still around 3.8, give it another 12-24 hours and check again.
  12. Store your fermented probiotic in clean quart jars. Keep in a cool dark place, or in the back of the fridge.

I am unsure as to how long this “lasts”. It is a fermented food, so technically it should be good for many months; but I would say for best effectiveness to try to use it up within a couple months.

Serving size for this probiotic: Healing mode serving – 1 Tablespoon 3 times a day; Adult regular – 1-2 Tablespoons daily; Children – 1 Tablespoon a day.

I will be editing the video we made and hopefully get that posted here as well. In the next few days, I will also map out the dietary guidelines we will be following after the fast to continue our healing and restoration. Stay tuned!