All is Well {Update on Charlotte and Some Thoughts on Diet and Medicine}

In my last post I sought prayer for my sweet Charlotte's heart.  A day after I posted her temperature became slightly elevated (99.9) and she complained of a scratchy throat.  That evening our elder's wife called to inform me that one of her son's had tested positive for Strep Throat.  This at least gave me a good idea of what might have been causing the elevated temperature and heart rate.  The day after that Charlotte's heart was still not within normal resting heart rate ranges and I continued to put my Valor essential oil on her heart.  Within 30 minutes or so her heart rate would come down from 135bpm (resting) to about 120-125bpm.  She only had an elevated temp for a few hours and then nothing.  I began putting my Thieves oil on the bottoms of her feet and Frankincense on the lymph node area on her neck.  By the next day she said her throat was better and she still had no fever. 

Her heart rate has been in the 90s the past couple of days, which is great!  Malachi put the Valor on her heart last night, and I think we will just continue to apply it once or twice a day as a precaution.  My poor darlin' - when her heart rate would get in the upper 130s she was completely exhausted.  All she wanted to do was sleep and she complained about how tired she was.  It must have felt to her like she had just finished running around the house a million times - although she hadn't done much of anything.

A few other thing I did to help support Charlotte's immune system:

- Probiotic (Biofidophilus) 2 x per day
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil 2 x per day

I learned that Strep Throat is a bacterial infection that stems from an unhealthy gut.  Everyone has Strep (and Yeast) in their bodies, and when our guts become off balanced due to poor diet, stress, etc., then we become susceptible to illnesses such as Strep Throat or Systemic Candida (among other things).  Strep Throat can be treated naturally without antibiotics, and in fact doing so is better in the long run if caught early enough.  The thing that concerns me about Strep Throat is Rheumatic Fever.  Rheumatic Fever is caused from Strep Throat and has the potential of damaging the heart muscle and valves.  With Charlotte's pre-existing heart condition, Rheumatic Fever can be quite dangerous for her. 

I did a bit of research (I'm sure not surprising to some of you) and found that Strep Throat can be treated with Bifidophilus (Extra Strength Probiotic), garlic (natural antibiotic), and Apple Cider Vinegar (Organic Unfiltered - I recommend Bragg's).  All of these treatments help to restore and balance the gut without the harmful flora killing side effects of antibiotics. 

I remember getting Strep Throat constantly as a child.  The first time I recall having Strep Throat I was about 5 or 6 years old.  My dad was stationed at Fort Bragg, and from what I remember (and what my parents tell me) I was super sick.  My mom told me that I went through several rounds of antibiotics.  This caused me to wonder - were the antibiotics making the infection worse because it was ruining my gut therefore keeping my immune system from doing its job?  I'm not sure, nor do I think I'll ever know a definite answer.  I do know that my Charlotte has never taken an antibiotic and if she was battling a Strep infection (even in the slightest of forms), it appears that using a more naturally holistic approach is what helped her body fight it off.  I do not think it coincidence that her heart started acting up on the same day my elder's wife called to tell me of her son's diagnosis - then Charlotte has a slightly elevated temp the following day. 

Our elder's son is allergic to corn - and all antibiotics on the market are corn based - so guess who cannot have an antibiotic?  Fortunately, there is a naturopath in the area that gave some great recommendations, and through those recommendations I was able to make better decisions for my Charlotte in the event she indeed had Strep Throat.  It was reassuring to know that avoiding a trip to the doctor, which would have inevitably ended with a prescription for an antibiotic regardless, was in our best interest.

Over the past several months I'm learning a lot about trusting the Lord during the times when my children are not feeling well.  It is still hard at times to disregard what the industry has taught me and lean not on my own understanding and seek the Lord for how to care for my family.  It seems quite the easiest of tasks to make sure the children are fed properly and loved - but when they fall ill - that is a whole different ball game.  Why is that?  I think, even as Christians our trust and assurance in the Lord is weak when we feel the most helpless.  I feel most helpless when my little ones are sick.  I want instant healing so that I can avoid watching them suffer - even if their suffering is a stuffy nose.  I still panic and want to reach for the doctor so that he/she will reach for their prescription pad and give us a miracle medicine that will fix the suffering; when all the while I'm completely disregarding that God designed the human body to function in a certain way that helps to maintain health.  Now, I understand that we live in a fallen world and our flesh has been corrupted by sin and death - so sickness cannot be avoided altogether.  However, I do believe that when we do become sick it is the body's way of saying that our immune system is weak and needs to be fed properly so that it can do the job the Lord designed it to do. 

Everyone knows - if they've been following my blog long enough that we've changed the way we eat and more importantly what we think about diet and nutrition in general.  The more I study and seek the Lord, the more I'm learning that He has a definite position on what we put into our bodies.  While I will not call "unclean" what the Lord has called "clean" - I do believe that just as our spiritual diet affects our spiritual health so too does our physical diet affect our physical health.  If we are consuming a diet filled with things that technically are not "food" and have not the ability to nourish our bodies - then what is the point?  How can we possibly expect our bodies to function properly? 

I've witnessed just how much diet affects our overall health.  I remember my first child being sick all the time when she was a baby and a toddler.  It seemed every time we turned around she was sick and on an antibiotic or something to help with her constant constipation or diarrhea. Sadly, I did not have a strong opinion on breastfeeding and did not have the support or knowledge about the superiority of breast milk versus formula when Sofia was little.  Sofia was formula fed (soy formula - the WORST) until she was a year old.  Then we put her on store brand cow's milk.  I didn't know about hormones and antibiotics being present in the milk either.  When she started solids she did the routine store bought jarred foods and then just started eating what we ate - which wasn't good either. 

By the time my second child came along we still hadn't made changes to our diet.  I gained nearly 70lbs during my pregnancy from eating junk. Then Charlotte was born with a heart condition and has been put through the ringer searching for reasons for why she is so little.  Fortunately, by the time I had her I had become more aware of the benefits of breastfeeding and when her cardiologist urged me to continue nursing at all costs for the sake of her heart health, well, I was one determined momma!

As time progressed and we mourned the loss of two more babies through miscarriage - and our Sofia developed a serious food allergy to red dye - the Lord just convicted us heavily on what we were consuming through our diet.  Looking back I can see where God was working in specific areas of my life through different events and people to bring about His perfect plan for our family.  We have a desire to be obedient in all things, not just in theology or in the discipleship of our children.  Food is such an important part of our lives - our bodies absolutely need it to survive.  Now, the big debate on the great matter is in regards to what constitutes as "food" these days. 

The food industry has created a product that the consumer has demanded.  Bigger, Cheaper, Easier.  In our hastiness for bigger and easier we've cheapened food.  I don't know about you, but the word "cheap" doesn't ignite images or ideas of a superior product.  To cheapen something is to quite frankly lessen its value or worth, thus making it worthless or valueless.
Synonyms for the word “cheap”:
Valuless, worthless, low quality, bad, common, crappy (slang), bum, inferior, low-grade, rotten, rubbish, uncharitable, despicable, disgusting, cowardly, unethical
I don’t know about you – but these are not attributes I’d like my food (or anything in my life for that matter) to represent.  I’m all about taking advantage of a good sale – like when the grass-fed ground beef goes on sale at my local Whole Foods, and even then I know I’m going to pay at least $3.99 per pound.  And, if I ever see ground beef that is priced at anything lower (and it isn’t from the local farmer that I’m picking it up from – even then the lowest I can get it for is like $3.50 per pound) then I can be assured it is NOT what I want to consume because it is “cheap” meat. 

Cheapened food wreaks havoc on our bodies and forces us to pay more in healthcare costs.  Wonder why medical insurance is so stinking expensive?  We’ve got a population of people who are almost always ill – or suffering some other physical ailment.  Allergies, obesity, and even cancer can be traced back to something as simple as diet.  An apple isn’t just an apple anymore and sadly we’ve got a generation of people and a food industry that simply want to cast a blind eye to it all because we’ve got “cheaper” food!  Yes, but with cheaper food comes consequences that we all pay for with a high price – our health and the health of future generations. 


Ok, so how did a blog update on Charlotte’s heart condition turn into a rant on food and medicine?  Simple.  Keeping her immune system healthy by feeding her nourishing sustenance that hasn’t been adulterated or cheapened is what the Lord used to ward off an impending Strep Throat infection and possible SVT episode that could have potentially landed her in the Emergency Room.

Our change in philosophy over food and medicine didn’t come about overnight, and the changes that we’ve implemented didn’t come to fruition immediately.  The Lord slowly worked on our hearts using several different events – the first event being Sofia’s food allergy to red dye.  The Lord so beautifully orchestrated that one event and caused a cascade of understanding for other events.  He brought different people into our lives – each one at the perfect time to share with us what the Lord had taught them. 

It hasn’t always been easy, but then again nothing in life is ever easy.  The Lord has blessed us in the midst of many different trials – miscarriages, my husband was laid off a few years ago, barely keeping our heads above water financially, different medical issues that have arisen and that we continue to face.  God has provided through different family and friends and we feel extremely humbled and blessed to know that so many people truly love our family.  We want to be good stewards of that which the Lord provides and part of that is caring for the bodies the Lord has given us.  I’m thankful for the Lord’s chastisement in the area of diet and medicine.  I’ve seen how our overall health is better and we feel more confident in trusting the Lord for whatever He brings our way – even in sickness. 

I know so many people will be sitting behind their computer screen wondering how on earth they can make these types of changes on a limited budget.  We have always had a limited budget, and even during those times where we didn’t manage it well, the Lord always provided for our dietary needs.  At present, our weekly grocery budget is $150.  This fluctuates depending on the menu that I work up for each week.  Now that we’re in the hot months of the summer, I like to do more meatless meals which helps to lower our weekly grocery spending.  We don’t use paper products, other than toilet paper, and this has helped the budget.  I use cloth diapers and cloth wipes on Eleanor which helps too.  While I do make bread from scratch, we’ve cut back on our bread type foods in general.  Eating fresh fruits and vegetables (in season) is much of our diet these days. We’ve found local sources for some of our produce and eggs.  Eventually we’ll grow our own seasonal produce and we’ll have our own chickens.  We’ve even thought about a goat for raw milk – but that will still take some time.  Beans and rice, hummus and veggies, grilled chicken salads or salad with beans are staples in our house during the hot summer months.  These meals don’t have to be super fancy and are incredibly budget friendly.

I know, some may be thinking, “But my kids won’t eat that stuff”.  Well, neither did ours at first.  But what I’ve learned these past several years is that children will grow accustomed to what you allow them to be accustomed to.  My children love vegetables, and my Charlotte would much rather eat carrots than cookies!  I simply don’t keep junk in the house, therefore my children have no choice but to eat what I serve them.  I highly encourage beginning healthy eating habits from infancy.  This means that YOU must make healthy eating habits and choices.  We are our child’s first exposure to a plethora of things in life, and FOOD is a vital part of life, therefore we should make healthy nutrition a priority.  Get informed about how your food is made.  Find out where your produce and meats come from.  Are they ethically grown?  Start a garden. Get a few chickens.  Or if you can’t do that, find a local source for your produce and meats.  A great way to do this is to check out your local farmer’s market.  Get to know the vendors and you will most likely be able to work out a great deal with them. 

We have so many options these days, and of course we generally like to take the path of least resistance.  Below are several resources I highly recommend.  They range from documentaries to websites. 

Above all, pray!  Pray and seek the Lord for wisdom in this area of your life.  If you make changes to your diet without the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but because you think you have to be like me – then you will fail from the start and become bitter and frustrated.  The reason we eat, believe, and live the way we do is because the Lord changed our hearts.  He set before us challenges and illnesses to show us something very important, that no matter what He is Sovereign. And if we look to Him for wisdom and understanding He is faithful to show us the right way.

Resources:
Food, Inc.
Eat Wild
Non-GMO Shopping Guide (pdf)
Organic Food on a Budget (Keeper of the Home)
The Healthy Home Economist (I don’t agree with everything posted, but this lady has some great insight into how our diet effects our overall health)
Doctor Yourself
EcoCentric
Health for Godly Generations (LOVE this book!)
Culinary Reformation
The Beautiful Truth (Watch for Free)
Real Milk
Dr. Mercola
Food Documentaries Everybody Should Watch
Back to Eden Film

I hope that you find these resources informative and helpful.  If you’d like more information on Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils, then please head over to my website Southern SCENTSabilities.


Soli Deo Gloria!

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <><