My Healthy Living Must's

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If you have been around for the last few years then you may recall that I was in a constant battle with my health. My body would go into an auto immune response yet no one could pin point exactly why. I finally went a more holistic route, after many Dr ordered trial and error that only left me feeling worse. A couple of years ago, she was able to pinpoint a candida overgrowth and food sensitivities that caused my body to become extremely inflamed, ache constantly and left me with chronic fatigue. I went on a strict candida diet for about a year and still to this day I watch what I eat like a hawk. I avoid gluten and eggs like the plague, but have found that I can now handle bits of dairy every so often without going straight into a flair up. I keep sugar consumption low by avoiding most carbs and that includes fruits. My body just doesn't process sugar's well. The most important concept I implemented into my life that now leaves me feeling good most days, more energized and most importantly present for my family was to become conscious of my own body. When I feel fatigue creeping in I get extra hours of sleep at night and nap when needed without the guilt. I clean up my eating once again into the basics of only eating meats and vegetables. I up my all water intake to extreme amounts. Pretty simple really. My next must is to visit my chiropractor on a regular basis. I found this to be key in keeping my body moving and pain free. You can read more about the importance of alignment and the effects on the nervous system here. My mind honestly feels clearer when I leave and my body moves more freely. I find this to be so important that I now I take both the kiddos monthly. Lastly, I am dedicated to my daily supplement regimen. This is the area where my own research in conjunction with my Dr's help in finding what my body lacked is specifically aligned to my own body and what it needs. This list may be different from what you need, but if you find yourself fitting into any of the TMI info that follows then maybe some of these will benefit you too. Of course consult your own Dr to see what your own body needs more of to function as a whole. When choosing supplements I am sure to look at the ingredient list as some can have additives that don't work for me. Below is what I take and why. Overall I encourage all to find the right path for your own health journey. Every body is different and finding this regimen is what brought me back to a healthy way of living. 

Vitamin D - most folks are deficient in this area. D3 is best for vitamin absorption and supports bone, muscle and immune health. I take one pill morning and night. You can read more about the benefits here.

Magnesium - Supports the nervous system. It helps reduce inflammation which leads to my muscle aches and aids in digestion. It also helps with anxiety. I take one 400 mg pill morning and night. You can read more about the benefits here.

aloe vera gels - helps my Irritable Bowel Syndrome by aiding in keeping me regular, helps with keeping my stomach ulcers at bay, and reduces overall inflammation. I take 2 in the AM. You can read more about the benefits here

Marshmallow Root - My IBS constipation was severe for years. My stomach would swell as if I were 6 months pregnant and be so so painful. Since taking marshmallow root I haven't been constipated which has been a life long struggle of mine. I take 2 at night. You can read more about the benefits here

B12 - this vitamin helps me most with my chronic fatigue. You can read more about the benefits here. I personally use Young Living Super B that not only has B12 but is a blend. The serving size is 2 yet I find my body does best with only 1 in the morning. 

Vitamin C - aids in absorption of iron in which I struggle absorbing. It's good for the skin and boosts immunity. You can read more about the benefits here. I take Young Living Super C which is another blend that I have and love. I take 1 morning and night. 

A pill box for morning and night is what I found to help keep me diligent in actually taking my supplements. No excuses with them already delegated out when running out the door. 

Want to know about Young Living and my journey with oils? I've been using them before they were popular. If only I had the foresight into what they would be become back in 2013. I began when I became desperate with my stomach and esophagus ulcers that were caused by taking too many meds for constant migraines. I was in a constant battle of weighing which pain I could tolerate longer. Email me at paulacoldiron@gmail.com if you want more info. 

What's Next?

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School starts back today and I am in the process of cutting the umbilical cord, again. This summer was truly majestic. Not because we filled it to the brim doing extraordinary activities, but simply because we just took the time to just be. We had slow mornings and movie nights. We laughed, we read many books, we did even manage to squeeze in a couple days at our favorite place. The most dearest and nearest part of this summer for me was getting my boy back. During the latter trip we felt a shift in him. He smiled easily. He didn't mention his never ending pain but only a few times. He was purely him again. What led to this joy of mine? If you follow me on instagram you may have seen me ask for prayers in March after he went into anaphylaxis due to a medication, which he was taking for salmonella that he got during New Years and could not kick for months. That led to a very mild case of Steven Johnson's syndrome. His case was as minor as they come, but it still did enough damage and left him in enough pain that we had to mostly do schooling from home till years end. He slept the days away and he cried often with damaged eyes that could not produce tears. We were not even sure that he would be going back to school with the rest of his class today, but alas he headed out the door ready to concur 5th grade. This season did lead to further testing, because he wasn't bouncing back like he should have. Some things came up that would not have been found unless we walked this path. His immune system was compromised to say the least. His most recent round of tests came back positive that his body is once again producing antibodies after taking an immune booster. Overall we feel confident he will overcome completely even with his MLB deficiency.  January till the end of June I was with little Kellen pretty much 24/7.  Literally. I slept in his room, he went on every photography job I had once he was mobile, when he did go to school for an hour or so I would wait near by just incase. Then Ellie joined us for summer break and well she is most definitely my best friend to say the least. Now it's my time to figure out how to best spend my days. Durning this season I knew what I was to do. Keep him comfortable the best I could, dr appointments, hospital visits, and in general keep us moving forward in the healing process rather than get lost in it. Now I am here without a daily job to keep me busy and moving forward. I know this time is a gift from above and I don't want to waste an ounce of it. I am taking August to really dig in with the Lord on realigning His will for me for this next season. I am grateful our church takes the first 21 days of every August to focus on prayer. Locally you can go to any of the campuses at 6am or you can join me online. The prayer service is available for 24 hours if the 6am time slot doesn't fit into your schedule. For me it makes a great start to my day before the kiddos wake and I become distracted. 

Online service link can be found here

Would you like specific prayer? I would be honored to pray for you. You can email me at paulacoldiron@gmail.com

The Building of a Teen Girls Room

I am guilty. As much I don't want to be I am. When we moved to this house two years ago I told the kiddos that they could decorate their own rooms. Well according to Ellie I didn't actually let her do that. I was confused at first. I honestly thought I was one of those mom's that let their kiddos creativity flourish in that department. After all that's what my parents did and in the end it landed me in the design business. Alas I think in all reality she picked a couple of things then I "pulled" it all together with the rest. I thought that was giving her free rein. For her it was another room her mama decorated. Another space that didn't feel like her. Her ikea dresser finally broke after moving it too many times so that started the hunt for a new dresser. This one she fell head over heels for and no matter the 100's of others she looked at none lived up the "one", so we bit the bullet. It's neutral enough that it should carry her through high school and beyond. That in turn led to her oh so sweetly asking if she could revamp her whole room for her 13 birthday. I agreed and I quickly learned she would be my hardest client ever. I recommended finding one thing she loved and that would make it easier to build off of and in turn she will get a cohesive look and it help guide her. We found a mongolian pillow locally that she went goggly eyed over, but it was over $200 so I searched online till we came across this one that was similar and although still expensive it was WAY less than the other. It was the piece she built her whole room off of. I wasn't completely hands off throughout the process, but she knew she was in the drivers seat and would ask my opinion on certain elements. I gave ideas and presented things, like the art, that she could whittle down to final choices and she had the liberty of saying no without me trying to barter why it would be oh so good. The only element I did pick was the rug. It was a vintage overdyed teal rug and I had a feeling she would love it and I told her we could sell it if it didn't fit her vision. Once it came in and she saw it paired with the bedding she did love it. We are still waiting on the dresser to come in which we bought during a big sale and we saved money by having it sent to the store where we will pick it up instead of having to pay shipping. The headboard we are DIY'ing and I am sure she will want to add a few more touches. I hope to share the full space by the end of month, but we shall see. 

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