Instant Pot Tangerine Cranberry Sauce

Bored of canned cranberry sauce from the grocery store? This year try this Tangerine Cranberry Sauce recipe with a citrus twist to go with your turkey dinner. It's easy to make and only takes minutes in the instant pot. Perfect balance of tart and sweet with dates for extra high in fibre, it's also packed with vitamins. Choose your sweetener of choice, I like using a Monk fruit sweetener blend to make it lower Glycemic/ Keto friendly, suitable for those of you watching your blood glucose level, but you can substitute coconut sugar or even maple syrup to taste. It's also gluten-free and vegetarian friendly. Whether you're hosting or being a guest of the gathering, show off this homemade condiment to complete your feast.

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 > This post may contains Affiliate or Referral link, please see Disclaimer

Ingredients

• 340g whole cranberries
• 2 tangarines or 1 orange
• 1/3c monk fruit/ erythritol blend or other sugar substitute
• 2 dates (chopped, omit for Low GI/ keto friendly

Instructions

1. Pour whole cranberries in colander and rinse under water
2. Zest tangerine or tangerines
3. Peel and discard peel
4. Remove white veins and seeds from tangerine sessions
5. Put tangerine in a blender and Purée until smooth
6. Add tangerine pulp purée and cranberries in instant pot
7. Stir in sweetener of your choice and chopped dates
8. Cook on Manual setting for 7 minutes under high pressure
9. Allow natural release and unlock lid
10. Stir and pour into serving bowl

Keto Adrenal Cocktail Recipe

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Hey there, 

So much has happened since the last time I posted. 

Hope you're all doing well, I've been mainly active on my Instagram, if you don't already follow me there, please check it out HERE

Now, I started writing this as another IG post but found that it calls for a blog entry here instead.

It's been a transformational week 

I wanted to share this earlier but wanted to make sure it is actually what I think it is. 

Over the past 8 months, we've all been walking on eggshells around this new health threat. 
Our family maintained good health and spirit. 

For myself, I kept a watchful eye on my gut and did my best to keep the new stressors from triggering pre-existing conditions. 

Luckily, no signs of gut flare, phew!

However, along with way, my digestion fluctuated, from the fight or flight mode, to peri-meno changes. Things slowed down. 

So something remarkable happened last Sunday. 

Within 24 hours, I experienced amazing clearing I've been waited for months. 
No questionable foods, just felt like I was ready to let go of trapped emotions out of my body. Fear and negative emotions can manifest into physical unease, especially in the gut. 

Hence my growing interest in the gut and mind connection.

In any kind of cleansing process in the body, hydration is important, but electrolytes are even more so. With too much salts and minerals flushed out, you can feel muscles weakness or mild headaches. 

To put things in better balance, I revisited this drink I used to take in my earlier gut healing, and tweaked it to suit my Keto focus  - my version of the Adrenal Cocktail. 
After downing my first dose…almost instant relief. This drink is also good to support stressful times. 

I waited the week to make sure it wasn’t the beginning of a flare and I’m so grateful for this much needed clearing, honestly, haven’t felt clarity and energy like this for a long long time 🙏🏻

What is an Adrenal Cocktail? It's your easy homemade electrolyte drink, with basic ingredients in most kitchens. And best thing is without all the chemicals and additives in the store bought ones. It helps add minerals, vitamin C for a boost of energy, level off cortisol ( stress hormones fluctuations ) especially handy when you practice some form of fasting.  The taste is a bit acquired, it's like a saltier version of lemonade if you use lemon juice for keto, but the orange juice version is much more pleasant.  

When I first learned about this drink, all the recipes I found calls for orange juice and after I discovered a keto eating style works better for me, I made some changes...

Here's my Keto friendly Adrenal Cocktail recipe that keeps my electrolytes in check and some extra love for my adrenals 

• ¼ c fresh lemon juice (Keto)  or ½ c fresh orange juice
• ⅛ -  ¼  tsp cream of tartar
• ¼-½ tsp sea salt
• optional stevia drops to taste

I usually make it fresh and drink it right away but you may double the recipe for your daily two doses. I was drinking mine twice a day, when I felt my adrenals were most overworked, around 10am and 2 pm for a boost, but now an ealier afternoon hit gets me back on track. 

What does your body tell you during difficult times? and how do you respond? 

More to come on other aids that helped this gut clearing...

Another kind of R & R

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Where's the RELAX button please?

There was no other way of saying it, the truth is I was trying to force some Rest & Relaxation into my life after an extended period of nonstop going, oh the irony of this... 

I'm well aware Vegas is not a place to unwind, especially when we weren't planning on leaving the Strip. But with only a few days off work, it'll have to do. It ended up being a good escape with a change of scenery. We sampled lots of food, saw an amazing show, Beatle's LOVE, and experienced the surreal culture of the city that never sleeps. So did I find the R&R as scheduled? I did but it's a different kind. 

Let me tell you about the "before" part of this trip. Besides wrapping things up for the school breaks to start, the little guy got sick and missed 4 extra days of school, nursing sick kids always adds to the load. Then they was a leak in the house. "the ceiling is dripping mom" as the homebound sick kid tells me. 

A faint optimistic inner voice says " thank goodness this didn't happen while we were away." The weekend before the getaway was also filled with volunteering duties at the Judo Tournament, I was pretty much done when I underestimated how tired my body was and sprained my thumb badly ( good thing it wasn't my left thumb)  at the clean up.

Ready to throw in the towel, white flag going up, will this trip help me decompress?

Get into the proper Mindset 

Once I got off the hamster wheel, Surrendering started the process of unwinding, letting go of control and embracing Acceptance allowed progression to take place.

We arrived at Sin city with my family hoping for a few days of sun, warmth, well warmer anyway, 3 days... Ready set chill!

The first day of getting there went smoothly, no hiccups, despite jumping in the taxi with wet hair to catch the morning flight, that was a first for me. 

Arriving at the hustling and bustling city was exciting but also a little daunting. The step tracking took a toll on the family and after feasting at famous Wicked Spoon Buffet, the family caught an early night of shut eye.

Me? I was still charged up by a mixed of factors. From the excitement of the day, the buildup of the week, and the best part, fuelled up by the amazing all you can eats, I wasn't ready for sleep yet. So I went out for a walk to watch the colourful lights the strip offers. Sometimes it doesn't take much to satisfy me,  I was happy to do my usual hydration run and got enough water for the next day. While I was at the 24hrs Walgreen's,  it was eye opening to browse through groceries and personal products I don't usually notice at home,  it was fascinating to see all the products available for many quick fixes. From energy drinks to puffy eyes patch. Does anyone else get a kick reading labels? Besides water,  I had some fun finding bottled iced coffee with nothing else added. Wow, that's a victory!

On the food front, I'd loosen up my eating protocol. Since Hangry isn't a thing anymore, with my fasting skill in place, I easily lost track of time until my family starts discussing what to eat for lunch. Knowing the variety of foods available, and the teenager's anticipation to critiquing the chefs he follows on social media, I pack digestive enzymes, probiotics and activated charcoal pills, for anyone who needed it.

Ask me more how to get these at wholesale prices 

Hard lesson to learn, where's the relax switch? Boundaries, I was still receiving emails and texts concerning the restoration and work. So I ignored the ones that don't require a respond, can wait till I get back, and sent replies of I'll respond after a certain date. It felt good to set my boundaries. 

Learning  learning  learning 

Vegas is an interesting creature of its own, we used to come for the fashion trade shows before the kids, 3 days was always max, and this time was the same. We came, we saw, we ate and now home to homemade bone broth, reasonably priced veggies and coffee. 

Yes, I'm not excited to deal with the restorations from the leak, but it's a good opportunity to get rid of stuff we don't need. Spring break with spring cleaning. 

What did I learn from this quick trip? I was doubtful the day we arrived whether this trip would serve its purpose. My husband wasn't in favour of the choice of destination, especially for the kids, so that negative voice played on my exhausted state and dripped on some guilt. But after I caught up on rest, I realized no matter where you go, you can and should make the best of the experience. Vegas is not the magical Kona we went to last year, but building memories with loved ones can happen anywhere. Watching the fountain show at Bellagio, seeing the awe in our kids' eyes with every new experiences. 

So can you speed up the decompression process?

No it takes time, conscious mindfulness can help.

What would I do differently? Recognizing the importance of ongoing selfcare while at home. Sure it might be easier said then done. Getting away to change the setting maybe the most effective way to chill out, but it would be best to maintain a level of mindfulness through regular meditation. My yoga practice is my moving meditation, but the ego may play with the mind when the body is tired from the physical aspects. Sometimes, we might just need to quiet the mind without tiring out the body. 

By the time I finished writing this post, I released some expectations that comes with the conventional R&R that just sit right. So when I was searching for an image that suits the title, I decided to coin it Regroup and Refresh, it seems more fitting. 

What do you think? 

Paleo Keto Chicken a la King

I'm so excited about this New Year new direction recipe post... 2019 is where I'm going to share more of my Keto Paleo eating style. I had been quiet on the recipe posting front for a while, reason being last year was filled with so much shifting... many explorations and lessons. From fasting to re-introducing a whole bunch of foods that I ever imagined. I spent a lot of time pondering my progress... can I really thrive on Keto Paleo? Back when I started Paleo, I didn't know anything about Keto, is it another acronym I had to remember??? Can I fold up my AIP security blanket and move forward? Well, so far so good.

This childhood comfort meal totally puts a smile in my heart. It was inspired by the "cream of mushroom" chicken recipe, Yup, my mom used to make it as the easy version of Chicken a la King. So I tweaked it without the franken-ingredients and you know what, it's actually pretty easy and quick. I literally threw it together after my 5pm infrared yoga and dinner was ready by 7pm. Try it on your next stretching the clock meal prep and let me know what you think. 

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Serves: 4 servings   Prepare time: 20 minutes  Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs with back
• 1/4 of large red bell pepper, chopped ( about 1/2 c) 
• 1/4 of large green bell pepper, chopped ( about 1/2 c) 
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced ( about 1 c)
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 stalked of celery, chopped
• 1/2 stalk of leek, chopped ( about 1 1/2 c)
• 1/2 pack of enoki mushroom
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp mace
• 1/2 tsp galangal 
• 1/4 tsp salt & pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 8oz Tetrapaks or 14 oz can of full fat coconut milk ( I use AroyD) I prefer the TetraPak ones there're BPA free and I think they somehow tastes better
• 1/2 tbsp fat of your choice for cooking, I used bacon fat

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 375F
2. Sprinkle and coat chicken legs, both sides, with all the spices
3. Heat deep pot over medium heat ( I used my cast iron dutch oven) add fat
4. Brown both sides of chicken legs until golden
5. Move chicken to another vessel, remove all but 1 tbsp of fat to cook vegetables in 
6. Saute onions, garlic, celery and leek for 5-7 mins but not too soft, add bell peppers in pan and toast for 2-3 mins. 
7. Add browned chicken back in the pot and lightly mix together with vegetables
8. Pour can of coconut milk into the pan 
9. Cover with tight fitting lid and bake for 30 mins
10. Uncover lid, add enoki mushroom, lightly submerge them under liquids
11. Broil uncovered for 5-10 mins until chicken bubbles and browns more
12. Serve with my Rainbow Faux Rice your favourite shredded or spiralized veggie "noodles"

2018 reflection - My IBD journey

So... after hosting our big Xmas dinner for 20+, I finally found some time to sit down and craft a pretty solid draft for this post. In between cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, I was feeling a great sense of pat on the back. This morning, I was ready to finish off the post when I realised that the latest version wasn't saved, poof, gone, nutta!!! The old me would have freaked out, I would have felt that tightening in my upper back and neck. But instead I took a deep breath, grabbed one of my many bottles of essential oil by the computer, applied and carried on. Yup, the new me handled it pretty well. Let me tell you what this year had taught me.

Last year, I posted a short and sweet reflection for the year around this time. As I reread it, I was pretty shocked how much uncertainty weighed down my words. Felt like, it was written from a totally different person. I've learned so much this year and this is a great opportunity for me to recognize my accomplishments.

These are a few highlights for my 2018 reflection.

Superpower to body reset

I stepped into 2018 testing out a powerful wellness skill, almost like a superpower of sort. I learned how to use extending fasting to reset my body. From resting digestion to balancing hormones, fasting also strengthens my mind. The quick drop in lbs got my vanity's attention, but the real perk was the general feeling of awesomeness, the mental clarity, increase in energy and just functioning on a different realm was really cool. I was feeling so good that I decided to re-intro more foods outside of the AIP. This addition to my wellness tool belt gave me an amazing experience on our family vacay in Hawaii, I was really experiencing R&R, almost for the first time.

Sharing my voice

When Oshi Health invited me to share my story in their soon to launch app for IBD folks, I say Yas!!! Sign me up. I was so excited to reach more people in the IBD community. Pitch in my voice and offer my encouragements to a wider audience. If you haven't checked out their app, don't wait and spread the words.

"The Oshi App 📱

The Oshi app is the first all-in-one digital solution to help patients manage IBD. The app empowers patients to:

• Track: People can track their symptoms, stress, diet, exercise, and sleep, and the app uses this data to generate a completely personalized Oshi Wellness Score.
• Learn: Oshi contains a magazine’s worth of quality, curated educational content that’s written by our team of patient advocates, by top-notch professional writers, and by our team of physician-partners and other subject-matter experts.
• Ask: People can submit questions directly to Oshi for answers from our team of experts.   

Oshi is available for download in the United States,Canada, the United Kingdom and Denmark— free — from both the Apple App Store and Android Google Play."

Connecting with people the old fashion way

On a personal level, I've been making an effort to connect where I can see or hear the other person.  I learned how important connection was when I was at the lowest point of my health. I was desperate to find anyone who would understand. I'm forever grateful for finding that sense of community online. Now that I'm back on my feet in health, I enjoy making more in person contacts on a day to day basis. Even making a phone call, scheduling online chat with friends overseas give me a boost of the warm fuzzies. While waiting in line, one of my favs thing to do is strike up a conversation with the person in front, it sure makes the wait time pass faster,  or listening to the gas attendant story as he insists I should be a teacher because I have that "gift with people" Blush.... It's not like asking me to donate a vital organs while I'm alive, just basic human interaction... feels nice.

What does 2019 hold for me?

I recently discovered the writings of Dr. Satchin Panda, I have to admit his name got my attention... my kid loves Panda. His book The Circadian Code is one of the many on my readings right now. So nurturing my Circadian Rhythm is high on the 2019 list, it's not just what I eat, It's also important when I eat, the sleep wake cycle is key too.

With a clearer mind, I'm now capable of emmercing in multiple books at a time. Wow, that has never happened in my life before. Reading, journalling,  listening and most important thing...implementing. Gotta take action instead of passive learning. Another goal is to break down all the goodness into  bite size chunks for sharing. I'm hoping this will make things less overwhelming and easier to apply into everyday lives for those who're ready to make some changes.


What plans do you have for the new year? Are you writing them down somewhere?

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Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

My tips on managing stress

 

Photo by Gabriel Matula on Unsplash

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When I was at the beginning of my healing journey, I had to first acknowledge the state of my wellness or at that time, my sickness. After being in denial for a period of time, I accepted that I wasn't able to bounce back without some serious work. Hitting rock bottom motivated me to shape up or ship out. I recommend paying attention to Self-care and self-love as the first step to wellness. Ironically, these basic human needs are what people find most challenging to practice. It's all good, here are some suggestions you can try and see what resonates.

Breathing exercise
Most people take out breathes for granted. By simply focusing on our breathing can make a difference in our wellness.  Try some slow and long breathes to start and lengthen each inhale and exhale to feel the calming effects.

Being in Nature
Remember that last time you watched the sun rise or sun set? How did that feel? Stop during the hustle and bustle lifestyle for a moment of serenity. If you are more mobile, try escaping in nature for a walk, it can do wonders to reconnect us to the core.

Journalling
Journalling helps clear my mind. There are different ways to journal, some people like to journal online, others like the old fashion pen and paper route, check out The Ultimate Health Journal by A Clean Plate for a unique combination to " Logging your diet, exercise, sleep habits, stress management, social life, time outdoors, and illnesses and symptoms" so you can stay on track of your progress

Essential Oils
I use Young Living Essential oils to support my wellness in multiple ways, my emotions are number one on the list. There're many emotional blends that have helped me relax, set intentions, feel more uplifted, see things in better perspectives. Some of my favourite blends include Acceptance,  Surrender, Forgiveness and Believe, just to name a few. If you want to learn why I chose Young Living over other brands, click here.

There's also a specific technique that has help many people to dig deeper into their past and release trapped emtions.

Aroma Freedom Technique with Essential Oils

Focus on gratitude

Anthony Robbins Quotes "The antidote to fear is gratitude. The antidote to anger is gratitude. You can't feel fear or anger while feeling gratitude at the same time."

Reprogram your thoughts
This is one of my current favourite, it's like a game to me. I'm consciously choosing only positive words as I write and speak. Swap out "I hope" to "I will" to create more certainty. Convince your mind that something good is already happening.

More about fasting for health - Part 2

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Here is the link to Fast track to wellness - Part 1. How I got started into extended fasting.

Here's another one of my fasting related link to my the one year update post on my nutritional ketosis progress

Some of you might be wondering how I got from gut healing focus to this fasting practice. Once I felt my UC was pretty much under control, I started looking into the effect of insulin and how it might play a role in the gut microbiome. You see, my mother was a T2 diabetic who died from complication of the metabolic disease. Her neglect of health led her to renal failure and 10 years of dialysis. Watching her body deteriorate was what got me interested in wellness in the first place. This is why I became so interested in insulin and how it may affect our gut microbiome

What is my Fasting routine look like?

Well, I started off trying to follow a routine, a template. That's how most of us learn right?  There's a lot of info out there, so far the clearest and simple resource I've found was  Complete Guide to Fasting by Dr. Jason Fung. I started by following the 24 hrs Alternate day fasting as described in the book. Day 1 Lunch and Dinner, Day 2 Dinner, rinse and repeat. It got a little getting used especially for my family. Didn't take long for me to see the weight melting away and my energy skyrocketing, I was excited to dive deeper.

My body seems to really like the One Meal A Day practice, aka, OMAD. I chose dinner as my meal of the day 'cause it's more of a social thing where I can relax and enjoy time with family. But I had to watch out when I was still trying to lose a few pounds, my body adapted to whatever routine purely for survival which means it hung onto the weight.

So how did I get over that hump? By shaking things up, being fluid.

Today, I'm more intuitive with my fasting, I don't follow a schedule like fast on set days. Some people like to do Mon, Wed, Fri. I mainly go with how I feel. Sometimes I like to time a longer fast into my social calendar. I do find that a few days after my cycle is a good time to do an extended fast, which is usually between 36-42 hrs. So that makes a long fast once a month for me.

Pros about fasting

Eating less means cost less

Digestion doesn't get overworked. I feel that since I became fat adapted, run on ketones

Feel empowered, easily breeze through if I'm in a situation where I don't have excess to food I eat
not prepared.

Promote Autophagy What is this word? Click here to learn more

What is my main take away on fasting?

I've learned as long as I keep my electrolytes in check, like having enough salts either with my meal or a pinch in my hydration, I don't get those discomfort most people get when they start. That has been the key factor when it comes to fasting. I remember my dad, who was in the army and lived through many tough days during the war, telling me that a person can live several of days, even longer, without food but without water? Maybe only 1 - 2.

Watch this video to understand the difference between fasting and starvation

Using Essential oils while taking homeopathy

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This topic comes up from time to time.... can I use essential oils while taking homeopathy?

I've searched high and low for resources online before but found little info to guide me. Yesterday morning my friend messaged me and ask the same question for her client, she's a wellness coach. So I thought if I post my experience, it might help others.

Here's my take

First, everyone on a healing journey should figure out their baseline, in short how their body reacts to things, their "normal" so to speak. I've had to really learn to listen to my body to help figure out how new things or reintros affect me. I found documenting in journals, apps on phone or online great to/ track my symptoms, progress, emotions, even dreams.

Keep in mind that my experience with essential oils is all from Young Living, I cannot speak for other brands as I do not know their quality and standards. If you want to learn why I chose Young Living over other brands, click here.

Find your constitutional remedy

Start by figuring out your constitutional remedy and a dose that supports you well. Then I kept my remedy dose away from myessential oils use, for some really sensitive people on homeopathy, they might even need to look for toothpaste with nothing from the mint family.
I remember earlier on my essential oils journey, I started testing out the mint family first, like Peppermint, Spearmint, then I moved onto Eucalyptus and felt some cancelling effects, like feeling out of sort, unsupport, more fatigued, the biggest effect I felt was definitely from Wintergreen.

But as my body became stronger and stronger, less likely to be triggered, I was less dependant on my remedy,  which is really the hopes and plan right...to become more independent and self-sufficient? Now, I can tolerate blends with some wintergreen in it like Deep Relief without feeling completely wiped out after (cancelling)

Here are some of the Young Living oils I felt comfortable to test with first

Lemon    |   Frankincense    |    Lavender    |    Northern Light Black Spruce

I'm grateful to be in a happy place on my wellness journey, found the fine balance between homeopathy and EO because I'm leaning more towards essential oils, hardcore oiler now, even though the remedy still provides support in the background.

If you want to learn more about how I use Young Living Essential oils with my remedy to support my wellness, please reach out.

Fast track to wellness - Part 1

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I've been away for a while because I finally get to enjoy life in wellness as it should be. Not trying to brag but I discovered something phenomenal that catapulted me into the best health I've had thus far. Really!!! If you've been following me on Social Media, you'll know what I'm talking about. I discovered fasting end of last year. After 6 months at it, I'm ready to give you guys an overview of how my wellness has improved since I added this practice to my mix. You ready to hear? Like many of the healing tools and practices out there, this too may sound extreme. If you've had any eating disorder challenges in the past and find this triggering, please stop reading NOW... and Hugs!  For the rest of you who're curious, here's the condense of how fasting has taken my health to another new level. Let me tell you how it seemed to have reset my body and even lessened my food sensitivity.

It all started with me catching a bit of stomach bug from my kid few days before Christmas, it wasn't a big deal, but with our Hawaii trip just around the corner, I wanted to be in tip-top shape for the travels. Afterall this was the first family vacay where I was in full remission. The timing must have been right as that's when I dove deep into the philosophy of a Toronto based Nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung  Have you heard of him?

Few years ago, when I was still having gut symptoms, I used to find a bowel rest helpful to let my digestion take a break so my body can focus on any repair it needed, I found this after my first colonoscopy, which involved some form of fasting to prep for it, or at least no solid food, my UC got a lot better. That was also why I didn't jump on the medicine right away.

So back to my fasting beginning, on Dec 20, I was really feeling the holiday sluggishness on top of hormonal imbalances too, being a peri-meno woman is always fun, right?  By Xmas eve, the stomach bug really hit me hard, I was feeling fatigued and stomach cramps.

Timing and intuition. Something inside told me to look into fasting seriously, so I did more research on what Dr. Fung has on the internet, skimmed through one of his books, The Obesity Code, and learned more about how to feel better during fasting. That's when things started turning around. I began a water only fast, actually right through Christmas dinner. Yes, you heard right. I was feeling so amazing that even being around all the holiday food didn't tempt me a bit. Crazy right?

I continued to feel better, lighter and more mental clarity on an alternate day fasting schedule after Christmas and all through my family vacation in Hawaii.

Being in Hawaii was, of course, something else. I'm sure anyone would experience a boost in healing being on an island filled with sunshine, fresh produces and of course the R and R. This was a pretty special trip where I was able to enjoy carefreely, for the first time while away from home, I seriously left my worries behind. I used to always have this hold on me, reservation keeping me from being in the moment. This time was different, was it because of my recent remission news or was it from the fasting the reset my entire body? The fasting practice became quite natural and easy. The most remarkable thing was my food sensitivities seemed to have subsided. I was able to have caffeine like coffee and tea, even tomatoes. Wow! With all the liquids I have to consume during fasting, plain water got boring fast. I added a splash of ACV ( apple cider vinegar)  to help with electrolytes and to add a little flavour but one morning, I decided to try some weak green tea... I waited for the usual effects from the past, jitters, mild heart race and generally out of sort... but it never came? Hmm... what has this fasting thing done to my body? I was intrigued. Next step, I decided to try some really diluted black coffee, while in Kona why not? Again, I waited... no effects? even when I had it in the afternoon. Perhaps by consuming the coffee black had something to do with it. Could it be my body has reset to neutral?

My body continued to lean out further, but this time I wasn't wasting away like when I lost weight from my UC flares. I noticed more muscle definition from all the TRX class I had been going to. It was like BAM the layer of security fat just melted away and HELLO muscles. Or a better description might be the layer of inflammation has disappeared.  I got super excited about learning all that I can about fasting.  I devoured the books and listened and watched to any podcast/ youtube I could get hands on. The alternate day 24 hrs fast was pretty easy to follow, I was eating lunch and dinner one day, the next I would only eat dinner. No problem.

When I returned home, I hopped on the scale and was shocked to see that I had dropped 10 lbs since I started my fasting practice. That was 2 1/2 weeks.

Did I regain the weight?

I've lost a few more lbs and now below my original goal weight. Now, my focuses are continue to swap body fat for muscles, improving stamina and just plain ol' building a STRONGER me.

Stay tuned for more about fasting

For more info on fasting check out these links

What is Fasting?

The Calorie Deception

Why wasn't Keto working anymore?

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A few years after starting keto, I got to a point in my health where I thought life was pretty good, my gut was under control,  I even got the word from my GI that my UC was actually in remission, I was ecstactic to hear of course, especially when I never imagined it would happen to me.

But by the Fall of 2017, Even with some peri-meno weight gain slowly creeping up lb by lb, I was still in a healthy weight.  But besides vanity getting to me, I knew that I can better my health to yet another level. Already feeling stronger is great. Am I just putting on muscle weight? No, I wasn't, my clothes were getting tighter. What to do? I have to admit that I was bothered by weight gain, but in comparison to how sick I was, I felt that I shouldn't focus on my body size. I should focus on how I felt but I knew I could feel better like have more energy and improve my mental sharpness.

So how do I get there? I thought keto was going to take me there. What's missing? A few years back, I slid fairly effortlessly from AIP to Wahls Paleo Plus a couple years ago. Check out my post about this transition. I increased my fat intake and cut down on my carbs, you know, the Low Carb High Fat rage? But even after I became fat adapted ( that's when I was mainly burning fat as fuel instead of glucose ), I thought I was supposed to continue eating a whole lot of fat whenever and where ever. My initial quick drop in weight slowed down and eventually stopped, then it was going back up. What gives?

So I let my way of eating go into autopilot and started increasing my exercise. I took up TRX classes at my local community center, push past some fears of stirring up old injuries and definitely gaining more strength and muscle tone. Yay!

By the end of the year, I discovered an amazing wellness tool that helped reset my body in more ways that weight set point ( the comfort zone in weight my body likes to hang out at). This tool is fasting. But this post is not about that. While learning how fasting can improve insulin resistance, I had my Ah-a moment... my biggest Keto mistake.

Too many Bulletproof drinks

All the rage about fatty drinks to extend Intermitent fasting periods apparently didn't work for me. Adding fats into my drink means I was still supplying my body with fuel. Bingo! I was consuming way too many fatty drinks throughout the day, when there's a surplus of fat being provided to the body as fuel, my body didn't need to tap into its own reserves, stored fat, for fuel. Check this link to learn more about Who needs to avoid fat bombs.

Now I also learned that fatty drinks were actually fasting crutches, some people might do fine having them but for my body, it didn't work.

Too much protein

Yup, apparently the body can turn extra protein into fat " Any protein eaten in excess needs to be converted to glucose or fat for storage" Check out this link to learn more about How much protein is excessive?  Now, when I eat, I always start with my veggies, before I dig into the protein. I always make sure I have enough fats on my plate too. Fattier meat cuts and of course avocados. Smoked Sardines or Oysters in Olive oil are also my fav quick protein to add to big salads.

So glad I've found the balance of what works for me now with the introduction of fasting in my routine. Stay tuned for more post on that to come.

How about you? Have you run into some keto stalls? How did you get past them?

Golden Healing Broth

Yup, I'm someone with mobile joints which means I can get injured easily. My challenge is to find an exercise that will strengthen the muscles to support my joints. It's been a battle trying to find ways of pushing myself just hard enough but not too much. I've been slowly getting stronger from my TRX class and even added heavier plates onto my free weights at home. So there's progress, but when I landed funny from the cardio portion in class, I heard a snap in my knee. Uh-Oh! it sounded bad. Luckily I had my essential oils with me, I immediately applied the first bottle I grabbed - Frankincense on it and eased up the rest of the class. The swelling appeared in the evening. The next day, I got in to see my chiropractor, he implied that it would take a while to heal - 6 weeks. Yikes! The adjustment helped set things into place but I know from experience that torn ligament takes time to heal. Unlike past injuries, this time I didn't wait. I did all the things to support the healing, I iced it daily, made some Golden Healing Broth with turmeric and applied my NHP ( Natural Health Products ) essential oils that can " help relieve joint or muscle pain associated with sprains, strains & rheumatoid arthritis." Did you know that there are over 30 Young Living essential oils and products approved by Health Canada as Natural Health Products? Helichrysum, Lemongrass, Celery Seed, the ones I used for my knee, are just three of many NHP you can use as natural alternative remedy to support your wellness. I was wowed by how quickly things improved. The swelling came down and seriously no pain! All I felt was weakness around the knee but pretty darn good compared to the day before. When I posted my quick and easy anti-inflammatory Golden Healing Broth on Instagram, many people asked if I've posted the recipe, so here it is.

 > This post may contain Affiliate or Referral link, please see Disclaimer 

To learn more about Young Living's Natural Remedies Guide click HERE

To see all of the Young Living's Natural Health Products click HERE

NHP FAQ
To learn how to order your own pure essential oils click HERE or contact me, I'll help you.

Makes 2 servings     Prep time 5 mins      

Ingredients

• 2 cups bone broth (see recipe HERE)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1-2 tbsp ginger,  peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut concentrate/ aka coconut manna
• Salt to taste 

Instructions

1. In a pot over medium heat, bring bone broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer
2. Add garlic, ginger to bone broth and let simmer for 2-3 minutes
3. Remove from heat and pour into high speed blender like a Vitamix, THIS is the one I have
4. Add turmeric, coconut manna, parsley to blender
5. Blend at low to med speed until smooth, for 30 secs*
6. Pour and serve

* Make sure your blender can take hot liquids and be careful not to burn yourself 


ENJOY

2017 Reflection - my IBD journey

Photo by Takemaru Hirai on Unsplash

It's a dreary Sunday today, and I'm housebound with a sick teen, luckily, the little guy is still unaffected. So it's been a bone broth, garlic and essential oils, kind of day. I was getting a bit antsy but thought it'd be a good opportunity to chill and do some housekeeping on my computer. I started sorting through my overstuffed mailbox, and deleted a whole bunch of emails, actually about 2000 of them, you know how it is... when I came across one I wrote to my cousin back in January 2014. It was a bit hard to read and to believe where I was at only three years ago. Never would I imagine I'd be in remission with my Ulcerative Colitis as I am now. I'm sharing this with you because some of you might be at the same spot, a low in your journey, trying to make sense of what's going on with your body. If you're desperately seeking for answers and directions to regain health, try to set your fears aside, tuck away the uncertain thoughts and push the frustration away.  If you're on a rocky path in your healing, I hope this short little post will offer some hope and encouragement. The mind is powerful, the knowledge is out there, the community is growing stronger.  Let's focus on a brighter year, together,  where there'll be progress and new ideas. Let's manifest a 2018 that is filled with joy, abundance and health.  I'm excited to welcome great things to come with you. 

Wishing you the best year to come!

With gratitude

Astrid 


Excerpt from an email to my cousin on January 2014

"Sorry my visit was so brief and awkward. That 40 min nap was exactly what I needed and I couldn't chase the little one around anymore. I had help come for 2 days when all I could do was sleep 18 hrs a day. I 'm feeling better but just pushed myself too much today. It pains me to let auntie see me in this state but I just needed the help with the little one while big brother was at tutor. The progress is ever so slow but I'm hopeful. 

Went to see my GP yesterday and he offered no help. I just have to do my own research. "
 I did get a book from the library that has promising information about my condition. It's called Listen to Your Gut. It's actually by a woman who lives in Vancouver. She's living proof there're other ways to heal the condition other than drugs and surgery. 
 
My boys are pretty awesome. Big brother, being the older one, is always forced to grow up faster. I explained to him yesterday about how I really need his help with my health condition. It's not just earning points to buy toys, it's real life taking care of the family. He's really shown more maturity and understanding. The little one is still young, he has always been very independent but head strong. He is at the extremely inquisitive and boundaries testing age,  but he's so sweet. He kept bringing me the green oil saying it'll make me strong.

I look in the mirror and can hardly recognize myself sometimes. The upside is I can model more clothes from the store. LOL.

Auntie and Uncle will always worry.  I tried to hide my face under my jacket and scarf, but my weight loss is pretty obvious. At least I'm slowly consuming more day by day. 
Hope to catch up with you in better spirit next time."

Island travels + product review

 > This post may contain Affiliate or Referral link, please see Disclaimer

My recent Island family wedding not only filled me with joy, connected me with new friends, I was practically basking in warmth and love all weekend long. As an only child, I never got to watch the magic of siblings team work. Both the bride and the groom are from a large clan, the bride is one of 5 and the groom is one of 7. Impressive right? On the wellness angle, I'm going to relive how a trip away from the city refreshes us and how we can bring some of that getaway magic into our everyday lives? I also have a product review to share, discovering MCT oil powder from Perfect Keto was great for travels. So keep reading!

In this post, I'm going to dissect the magical weekend and break it down to how it gave me a better perspective on my healing progress through reconnecting with nature, foraging, and experiencing intuitive eating at it's best. My goal is to see if I can inject some of these elements into my day to day to keep me this machine of mine running smoothly after returning home. 

crushed shells beach and sea star

Put down the devices and turn on Nature

I know, we don't really need to turn "on" Nature, it's always there and around us, it's when we decide to turn it off because we're so consumed by technology that throws things out of balance. Remote areas can mean unreliable internet connections, which can be a good thing when you're trying to unplug. Recently I went to a wedding on one of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Galiano Island, since I had committed to enjoying my time without trying to work, I didn't stress about the shotty "connections". Funny thing is I found a different kind of connection that was running full force everywhere I looked. While on the island, I learned that simply by reconnecting with nature, I found fulfillment easily without social medias. Even being partially unplugged, I felt the freedom of not being tied to an invisible weight. During the day, we were out exploring the island, we walked along beaches, it was fascinating to see some were filled with crushed shells instead of the sand. I felt like a kid again jumping from rock to rock while trying not to step on the slippery seaweeds. It sure beats any "games" on the devices. Real life games are the best! One night, an 80 feet tree fell on my family's 20-acre property, so the next day, a few of us gathered and watched my cousin go to work.  He cut down the limbs to prep it for his freshly build band saw. Cracked me up when one of his sisters said, "... he's doing that just for a core workout." I can't decide which activity was my favourite, either watching the children play in a natural setting or my blackberries picking. I fully enjoyed soaking up nature's magic while basking under the sun, wading in the ocean, and roaming in the woods. How can I inject more nature into my city living? Being on the Westcoast, it's actually not that hard, the tricky part is the distraction from the device. A little trick I use now is set most of the apps on my phone to use Wifi only, adding that extra step to connect to the internet when I'm out will encourage me to explore my surroundings and enjoy the present betters.

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