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February 8, 2021

Healthy Granola Bar Recipe

February 8, 2021

It may be common knowledge that granola bars are a fabulous snack for people of all ages, but did you know that when done right granola bars can also be a prime source for those minerals and nutrients your body desperately needs???

When I think of commercially processed granola bars I actually think of this product as more of a dessert than I do a healthy food source. This is probably because granola bars have become packed full of unhealthy things like refined sugar and chocolate chips. Don’t get me wrong, I love a little flavor boost in my snack foods just as much as the next person, but I just can’t get on board with ingredients like Corn Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Soybean Oil, Glycerin (which is frequently derived from Soy), Invert Sugar, and Calcium Carbonate. All of which happen to be in one of the most popular granola bar products currently available on the processed foods market.

***Side Note: Calcium Carbonate is most commonly used as an antacid to prevent indigestion…Is it just me or do you also find it strange that a supposedly healthy product like a granola bar also contains an ingredient to prevent indigestion for the consumer. Hmmm….could that possibly mean that the product contains a few unhealthy ingredients that no human should actually consume??? 

The answer to this question is a resounding “YES!” The reason for this unfortunate reality is that the food corporation’s bottom line is prioritized highly above the long term health of the consumer. It is this incredibly concerning mindset in such corporations that should inspire you to read the ingredient label on every single food product you plan to consume. Trust me, it is worth it!  

It is always disappointing to discover that a product you love is actually comprised of ingredients that are the worst quality possible and (realistically) should never be consumed by any human being EVER. The reality is, you must look to yourself if you are going to overcome this challenge we all face regarding the food industry. The quality of ingredients has gradually decreased with the passing of time, most especially in the last 50 years. Society has come to rely on things like microwaveable meals and fast food restaurants to fulfill the category of “Ideal Family Meal.” What I’m suggesting when I say, “look to yourself,” is actually much simpler than it may sound…I’m only asking each person currently reading this article to consider trying the “old-school” method of cooking from scratch using real ingredients. Ingredients that are sourced from real foods and not created in a lab.

 

 

Now, I’m no professional chef nor am I anywhere close to being such, but I have had to completely change my daily diet due to my diagnosis with epilepsy. It may sound funny to some, but the day I had my first seizure was actually the day I took my first step down a path toward a healthier lifestyle. The sensitivities I suddenly began to develop while trying to fight off seizures actually turned out to be blessings in disguise because they forced me to change in ways I never would have if it wasn’t an absolute requirement in order to get through the day. Food is one of the most common seizure trigger categories because we come into contact with it so frequently. Learning how to create healthy eating habits is a wonderful way to begin your own journey toward decreasing your seizure activity (if you are an epileptic, of course). But hey, even if you aren’t an epileptic, eating healthier is a great way to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs in order to maintain long-term healthy brain function.

That being said, cooking from scratch has been simplified thanks to technology. There are so many simple recipes available online. Cooking tutorials are also available and in video form too so that you can get the help you need any time of the day or night. When I first began favoring homemade foods over processed food products I learned very quickly that your best skill while trying to master this seemingly large feat is to take every recipe one step at a time. If you become overwhelmed and panic, you most likely aren’t going to create something edible…I’ve been there so I know, charcoal is not a great meal option.

These Granola Bars are a favorite of mine also because they are filled with these three ingredients: nuts, nut butter, and whole grains (oats). All of which are sulfur-rich foods! A sulfur deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms, one being convulsions. If you are an epileptic, I have a question for you…Have you ever had your sulphur levels checked by a professional doctor?? If not, it might be worth looking into. I happen to be incredibly sulphur deficient so in addition to supplementing my problem, I have also been trying to consume more sulphur-rich foods in my daily diet. These granola bars are a simple and tasty way to accomplish this task. Only eight ingredients and they taste like caramel popcorn! Yes, please!

If you would like to learn more about sulphur deficiency, here is a must-read article for you.

*Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven’s Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe

 

 

 

Healthy Granola Bar Recipe

Print this recipe
SeizeTheDayBlog
February 8, 2021
by SeizeTheDayBlog
Category Articles Epilepsy Recipes
Serving Size
16 bars
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Wait Time
1 hour
Total Time
30 minutes
Healthy Granola Bar Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Almond Butter
  • 1/2 cup Raw Honey
  • 2 T Coconut Oil
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 1/4 cup Old-fashioned Oats
  • 1 cup Almonds, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. Prep the bottom of an 8x11 glass baking dish using butter. Be sure to grease both the bottom of the pan as well as the sides. This granola mixture is extremely sticky before it has been chilled and you’ll need the buffer. Set aside.
  2. Stir almond butter (or the nut butter of your choice), honey and coconut oil together in a medium saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to simmer. Once your simmer begins, continue to cook for 1 more minute. Be sure to watch your mixture closely and continue stirring often because it will quickly reach its burning point. After 1 minute, remove from heat.
  3. Add vanilla and sea salt, stir until both are combined. At this point you should have a fairly thick and sticky liquid mixture. Transfer mixture to a glass bowl and stir in oats until fully combined. I recommend using a large spoon to stir in order to thoroughly distribute the oats. Next, add the almonds. Using the same technique that you used with the oats, stir almonds until fully combined. Finally, stir in the walnuts. Optional: Reserve a tiny bit of chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top of your granola bars.
  4. Gently press the granola firmly and evenly into the bottom of your 8 x 11 glass baking dish that you set aside in step 1.
  5. Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until solid.
  6. Use a sharp knife to cut mixture into small rectangular bars (or the shape that you prefer). Typically, the size of my own bars are about 1 1/2 inches in width and 4 inches in length. Using this size guide, the yield is 16 granola bars.
  7. After slicing your mixture into individual bars, use a spatula to carefully separate and lift each bar from your glass baking dish. Individually wrap each bar in a single layer of plastic wrap to preserve freshness and also to prevent the oat mixture from becoming dry and crumbly.
  8. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
  9. Enjoy!

Tags

almond butter,
almonds,
catamenial epilepsy,
clean eating,
epilepsy,
food,
granola,
granola bars,
healthy,
healthy diet,
honey,
nut butter,
organic,
raw,
recipe,
seize the day blog,
seizures,
snack,
sulphur,
sulphur rich foods,
walnuts,
whole grains

 

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text, and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog
Filed Under: Articles, Epilepsy, Recipes Tagged: almond butter, almonds, catamenial epilepsy, clean eating, epilepsy, food, granola, granola bars, healthy, healthy diet, honey, nut butter, organic, raw, recipe, seize the day blog, seizures, snack, sulphur, sulphur rich foods, walnuts, whole grains

September 12, 2020

Product Insight: What I Use & Why

September 12, 2020

 

Hello Readers,

I have received a few emails over the past couple of months from a few of you containing questions regarding some of the products I use on a daily basis such as shampoo, soap, skincare, etc. It got me thinking that I should just provide an overview of products so that those who may be searching for a different product can see firsthand some of the products that I have come to love and that work well with my body despite my epilepsy.

As an epileptic, my body tends to be extra sensitive to everything, most especially synthetic ingredients. I have searched far and wide for chemical-free products in every area of my life.
I am happy to say that I have found great success in eliminating chemicals from my diet through organic and from-scratch meals. However, the one area that continues to befuddle me is cosmetics.
I even gave organic cosmetic products a try for a short while, completely convinced that I was doing better for my body. I mean, the very term “Organic” automatically means that a product is, without a doubt, better, right? Usually, I have found the answer to this question to be “Yes.”

However, once I discovered that Soy is included in every organic cosmetic company’s definition of “vegetable-derived” ingredients; I had to rethink my “Yes.” In Organic cosmetic products, ingredients like Tocopherol or Vitamin E are most commonly derived from soy instead of synthetic chemicals like you find in non-organic products. Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse for someone like myself who happens to be extremely allergic to soy. To make matters worse, these ingredients (tocopherol and vitamin e) are used in the majority of organic cosmetics. I cannot speak for every organic company, of course, so I still hope that there are products out there despite the fact that I have never found a single one.

My problem with soy is the fact that it is commonly known as a seizure trigger for many epileptics. It has certainly been known to cause issues for me, so overall this is a really bad ingredient choice for the epileptic consumer. It definitely isn’t healthy for the human body! Soy will wreck anyone’s hormones both female and male due to the fact that it is indeed an estrogen inhibitor meaning the consumption of soy will cause the human body’s production of estrogen to increase. See why this particular increase would be detrimental to the balance of your hormones, especially a male’s hormones???

So, long story short is my attempt to cleanse my makeup, skincare, and haircare products resulted in an increase in my seizure activity. Soy-derived ingredients being the primary cause of my increase. This was pretty much the opposite reaction to what I had been expecting and it made me realize that just because a product says “organic” does not make it completely incapable of containing poor quality ingredients. As per usual, you cannot judge a book by its cover therefore more information is always necessary before one can make an informed decision.

 

Based on my experience with both organic and inorganic products, I have come to this conclusion:

 

It is best to use the product that works for you and that does not increase your seizure activity even if it does contain not-so-great ingredients. I am sharing this with you because I’d like to try to explain the logic behind my product choices despite my desire to use clean, healthy products. The products below may not be completely free of synthetic ingredients, but they are free of the ingredients that I know to be seizure triggers for me personally. These are the products that I can use on a daily basis without increasing my seizure activity. The fact of the matter is that I need to wash my hair, my face, my body, I need to moisturize, and I prefer to use makeup. So, here are the cosmetic products and toiletries that work best for me at this moment in time AND have proven to have no effect on my seizure activity.

Every person’s body is different so just because something works for me does not mean it will work successfully for you as well. The truth is, no one knows your body like you do so listen to your gut when trying something new.

I do hope that this list will prove to be helpful for some of my readers. If you happen to have extra questions about any of my product choices, please feel free to email me at katie@seizethedayblog.com.

I’m always happy to help! 🙂

Haircare:

Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo & Conditioner

Oribe Dead End Treatment

Oribe Smoothing Blowout Cream

Bumble & Bumble Bb. Strong Finish Hairspray

Body:

Soap – Silver Miracles Colloidal Silver Soap Bar (Unscented)

Body Lotion – Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion

Hand Lotion – Gold Bond Healing Hand Cream

Body/Hand Lotion – Handmade Lotion (from-scratch recipe from Wellness Mama, which you can also find here on the blog)

Sunscreen – Banana Boat Simply Protect Baby Sunscreen (I know it’s for babies, but because of this fact it is extra gentle on adult skin as well so it’s perfect for those with sensitive skin.)

Deodorant – Freedom Natural Deodorant Large Stick (Unscented)

*Side Note: Where body and hand lotion are concerned, I prefer to use my own Homemade Lotion product whenever possible because it is completely free of synthetic ingredients and soy. You can also find the recipe here on the blog. It smells wonderful and moisturizes my skin like no other product. However, it is difficult to travel with so those days require me to use either Lubriderm or Gold Bond. These products are also great at moisturizing and my body is okay with their formulas despite the synthetic ingredients so they have made the list.

 

Skincare:

My morning & evening routine:

Karin Herzog Professional Cleansing Gel (Cleanser)

Karin Herzog Vit-A-Kombi 1 Anti-Aging Cream (Correct)

Karin Herzog Oxygen Face Normalizing Cream (Moisturize)

Skincare Tools: Karin Herzog Small face brush (used with Vit-A-Kombi cream) & Karin Herzog Silk Towel (used with Professional Cleansing Gel)

*Side Note: You have probably noticed that every single product listed above is from Karin Herzog. No, this is not some paid promotional ad, I simply happen to love Karin Herzog’s products. The quality of each (right down to the accompanying beauty tools) is of great quality and every single product delivers noticeable results. My skin always feels fantastic and completely nourished after I’m finished with my daily skincare regimen. Thus my preference for all things Karin Herzog when it comes to my skin…just in case you were wondering 🙂

 

 

Makeup:

Foundation – Becca Ultimate Coverage 24-hour Foundation (liquid)

Concealer – Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer

Eyebrow – Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift Eyebrow Pencil

Mascara – IT Cosmetics Lash Blowout Volumizing Mascara

Setting Powder – Becca Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder

Highlighter – Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter (color: Prismatic Amethyst)

Bronzer – Tom Ford The Ultimate Bronzer (So this product is sold out everywhere, I’m thinking maybe the company isn’t making it anymore…huge bummer, I know! I can’t provide a link to the product I’m currently using, but I can say that I would use other Tom Ford bronzer products in a heartbeat. I’ve heard great things about his Soleil Glow Bronzer so here’s the link for that product instead.)

Blush – Marc Jacobs Air Blush Duo

 

Nail Polish & Remover:

Remover – Cutex Regular Strength Nail Polish Remover

Nail Polish – Nailberry, Butter London, & Smith & Cult

 

Extras:

Toothpaste – Weleda Calendula Toothpaste

Mouth Wash – Listerine Cool Mint Ultraclean Mouthwash

Floss – Glide Pro-Health Original Floss

Contact Solution – Opti-Free Pure Moist Solution

Anti-bacterial Care – Sovereign Silver Colloidal Silver Dropper

Perfume – Gya Labs Vanilla Essential Oil

Well, those are all of the products I can think of right now, but like I said above please feel free to email (katie@seizethedayblog.com) if you have any questions about the products I mentioned as well as products I may not have mentioned. As per usual, I am not a doctor therefore this list should not be considered as medical advice and you should always consult your doctor before making any changes to your daily routine. I am simply sharing with my readers some of the products I like to use in my own daily routine.

Thank you for reading!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text, and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

 

Copyright Info:

All images, excluding those included in the web design, posted on [seizethedayblog.com] are taken by the owner. No images from external sources are used on this blog.

Proper credit should be attributed when republishing any material found on [seizethdayblog.com].

 

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog
Filed Under: Articles Tagged: advice, allergies, catamenial epilepsy, cosmetics, daily regimen, epilepsy, essential oils, estrogen, good quality, hair care, hormones, ingredient label, ingredients, inorganic, makeup, organic, poor quality, progesterone, seizures, skin care, soy, toiletries

August 1, 2020

3 Tips for Epileptics

August 1, 2020

 

Guidance at the beginning of my diagnosis with Catamenial Epilepsy was practically impossible to find. It was 2009 and the very name “Catamenial Epilepsy” had not yet graduated from medical theory to medical fact. If you typed “catamenial epilepsy” into Google 11 years ago you only received medical journal articles that barely referenced seizures influenced by hormones. My family and I could only find ONE article that actually used the name “Catamenial” when describing such a mysterious type of epilepsy. I’m putting it delicately when I say that the research process was abysmal in those days.

I wasn’t even seeking a cure for my condition, I simply wanted to know how to live with catamenial epilepsy. What do I do to work toward healing? How do I return to my normal, everyday routine in a way that doesn’t put my safety at risk? What shouldn’t I do that might cause my condition to worsen?

At 15 years old, I had a lot of faith in modern medicine and their ability to help me so these seemed like simple, even expected questions from where I stood in my state of confusion. There was a pattern with the many neurologists I visited and it was a tendency to downplay my condition. Maybe it was because of the fact that each doctor saw many people dealing with seizures so it was just the “norm” for them. But it wasn’t the norm for me, not even close. I went from fretting over whether or not I was going to be able to make it to my school’s football game on Friday night to how I could still be a normal teenager while living with a potentially harmful disease. The worst part is that is was this downplaying behavior from my doctors that prevented me from realizing how truly careful I needed to be in every area of my life.

Ignorance is not always bliss and doctors can’t always be trusted. Truthfully, they can never be trusted and everything they recommend needs to be thoroughly researched before you make a decision. My own research along with my personal experience with epilepsy has taught me so much more than any doctor ever has.

I can look back now over the decisions I made early on and the majority of them I would do differently if given the chance. That being said, I cannot say that I am not grateful for all that those poor decisions have taught me. I would not be who I am today without those mistakes therefore I cannot regret them.

However, I would regret not sharing a few pieces of advice that I hope will serve as guidance for those who are dealing with similar circumstances. I may be grateful for my own growth during my journey, but I also wish to prevent others from making the same mistakes. So, for the sake of sparing another from a few gruesome trial and error processes, here are the top three actions I wish I had taken at the start of my journey with Catamenial Epilepsy.

 

#1 Diet – Go Organic, eliminate processed foods completely, and pay closer attention to ingredient labels.

The food you put into your body has a monumental effect on every area, most especially your brain. Understanding the dangers of synthetic foods is imperative to improving your seizures because synthetic ingredients will prevent the human body from functioning correctly. These influential factors will also make correcting problems an impossible task. Ingredients like Xanthan Gum (a cheap emulsifier) and Carrageenan (thickening agent most commonly found in dairy products) are formulated in a lab with chemicals and who knows what else (most of the time we don’t want to know…yes, it is that gross!). The greatest problem aside from the synthetic nature of these ingredients is a little fact that the human body cannot digest them. The body does not know how to correctly process these synthetic components found in way too many of the foods available in every grocery store. The types of foods you most likely eat on a daily basis.

Feed your body natural foods (such as a strawberry or an egg) and it knows exactly how to digest each as well as which naturally occurring nutrients to store in order to maintain your good health. But, give it a sulfated polysaccharide (carrageenan) and the body has absolutely no idea what to do with it or where to send it because, in all honesty, it is not meant to be consumed. This causes problems in digestion and the body is forced to take guesses on what to do with these alien ingredients. Sounds concerning, doesn’t it? Well, that’s only the beginning! Here’s the really concerning part about these guesses: the body won’t absorb the alien ingredient because it does not recognize it nor will it excrete the synthetic substance just in case it might be necessary for the future. So what happens to this mystery food? Well, in all of this confusion the body decides to store it. By storing it, these synthetic ingredients (which are essentially toxins) begin to accumulate in various areas, usually in the cells or the bloodstream. One toxin might not create any issues for your total body health, but synthetic ingredients are found in pretty much all processed foods these days and daily consumption will result in quite the collection of toxins. You may not realize this in the moment you’re eating those potato chips or drinking that soda, but you are slowly creating an army of toxins with each bite and every sip that can easily wreak havoc on your body.

Making food from scratch is the only way you can truly guarantee you are eating toxin-free meals. I know home cooking is a lot of work, trust me, I KNOW. But, reducing my seizure activity makes it all worth it! Not to mention, the food tastes way better! When I was eating processed foods constantly I never noticed how fake and flavorless they were, sometimes certain products can even taste like plastic…hmmm, I wonder why that is? Maybe it is because these foods contain many of the same ingredients you find in plastic products. You wouldn’t willingly eat a plastic straw or a plastic water bottle, right? So why would you willingly eat plastic disguised as food?

The truth is, “home cooking” isn’t just a term to help market Southern-Style breakfast restaurants. It is a lifestyle choice that will have a positive impact on your entire household. Luckily, we’re living in an age of technology where things like recipe blogs are easily accessible and filled with lots of fantastic recipes to get you started on this new path. Plus, you have access to thousands of healthy recipes without it costing you a dime. The question here isn’t about IF you can do this. It’s all about WHEN. When are you going to make the necessary change for better health?

Personally, I kept up with my usual processed foods diet that I had before my diagnosis with epilepsy for at least two years post-diagnosis. I hate to think of the damage I was creating by continuing to accumulate synthetic toxins from my food AND my newly added anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Alone, each component has the ability to trigger seizures so I can only imagine what was happening to me with the two of them combined.

It took a crisis situation to wake me up enough to actually consider the idea that maybe, just maybe, my diet could be contributing to the overall state of my brain health. I was lying on the floor of a P.F. Chang’s Restaurant having a full-blown grand mal or tonic-clonic seizure. Hormonally, the time of the month did not make sense for such an occurrence. My parents were out of ideas as to why the seizure happened until my grandma suggested that maybe something in the food caused an issue. What was meant to be a simple and helpful theory actually turned out to be the revelation my parents needed in order to take that first step on the path toward long-term healing. Soy was the culprit that day and I have avoided it ever since.

 

#2 Bloodwork – Go deeper, explore the problem inside, and then work to correct deficiencies/abnormalities.

Some of you may be thinking, “Seriously?! More bloodwork? I just had every test known to man performed on me when I was in the hospital and received my diagnosis!” If someone told me to get more bloodwork done back when I was fifteen I probably would have disowned them. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have taken the advice because I had just left a hospital and also because it takes effort to go to the lab. I was a teenager, I had much more important things to be doing with my time like texting or painting my nails.

However, when I say the words “bloodwork” I’m not talking about your average test. I’m talking about a bloodwork panel that will thoroughly analyze your primary vitamin and mineral levels. The test I have in mind is called the Organic Acids Test (OAT) and it will analyze all of these and more.

When I was first diagnosed, I trusted that my doctors had thoroughly reviewed every piece of information that could be pertinent to understanding the cause of my seizures. Nope. It turns out the doctors barely scratched the surface by doing the bare minimum. So, once again I was let down by my doctors and it was left up to me to figure out this epilepsy puzzle.

Just a little FYI for my fellow epileptics, this will happen often so I recommend keeping your expectations very low when it comes to modern medicine personnel if you wish to be satisfied with their advice.

That being said, let’s get back to the Organic Acids Test (OAT). I am such a big fan of doing this test because each human body is unique. Therefore, each is going to possess it own unique deficiencies. The sooner you find these deficiencies, the sooner you’ll be able to take yet another step on the path toward healing. And not just any healing, but healing that is customized to fit your specific needs. Once again, ignorance is not bliss where your health is concerned. Although modern medicine offers a wide variety of convincing medication for every epileptic, the reality is that a medicinal regimen needs to be tailored to the individual.

Bloodwork will help you understand how to create your own regimen. Personally, I discovered that I am deficient in the majority of my primary vitamin and mineral levels. Specifically, I found my concerning Vitamin D deficiency. If you didn’t know before, let me share that a deficiency in Vitamin D alone is enough to trigger seizures in some individuals. The healthy level should fall between 30 and 100. My level was 1 at the time of my first test. One! It might as well have said “Nada.” What good is a level of 1 Vitamin D going to do in my body? It’s barely holding on to its existence in my body, I really don’t think there will be any leftover Vitamin D to perform the duties it is supposed to according to nature.

I am happy to report that I have been able to correct this severe deficiency in a matter of months thanks to Seeking Health’s Vitamin D complex liquid drops. My levels are now at a healthy 67 and I continue to use Seeking Health’s supplement on a daily basis.

It is because of bloodwork that I also discovered my hormone deficiencies and my estrogen dominance. Obviously, there was some hormone imbalance present (hence my special diagnosis of Catamenial Epilepsy instead of simply Epilepsy), but I never understood just how seriously low my levels are. This insight has guided me throughout my entire journey with epilepsy and it has allowed me to take the necessary steps that will result in my healing. Knowledge is power when it comes to living with epilepsy. The more you know, the better equipped you will be able to handle the task at hand…Finding the source of your problem. Band-aids are for amateurs, you deserve answers! In my experience, this begins with blood work.

 

#3 Eliminate Hormones – Find and remove the common hormone-ridden products from your lifestyle.

This particular action is crucial for those with Catamenial Epilepsy because your seizures are hormone-related. Furthermore, there is a problem with your hormones; they are imbalanced and you will not find balance if you are constantly exposing your body to synthetic hormones.

Why is it so important to avoid synthetic hormones whether you have Catamenial Epilepsy or not??

Well, synthetic hormones are a bit like synthetic food ingredients (as I discussed above) they confuse the body. Your body is already hard at work making progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, and so on. When you feed synthetic hormones to your body they disrupt this production by posing as the naturally produced hormones that are meant to be in your body. These imposter hormones cause your overall hormone levels to increase drastically.

So drastically, in fact, that your body reads the data and backs off on its natural production so as to maintain healthy levels and not create an abundance. This may not sound so bad, but in many cases, the body will stop production altogether because the hormones to maintain healthy levels are mysteriously being supplied from an outside source so why should they continue production?

The human body is logical in its decision-making process and, on paper, this may seem like the correct decision. However, synthetic hormones are not an adequate replacement for the real thing. Here’s a football analogy for all of my fellow fans out there: synthetic hormones are second-string to the starting hormones, our REAL hormones. They may appear to be good enough to handle keeping the body healthy, but they are nowhere close to the job performed by real hormones. Our natural hormones kick booty out there on the playing field by actively reading levels, making changes if necessary, and adapting to the body’s hormonal needs accurately and consistently. Can synthetic hormones do this? Not a chance! You get exactly the same hormone every single time because you are using a pre-made type of hormone. It doesn’t change or adapt to your body’s needs. When synthetic hormones begin functioning like the first-string hormones you are at risk for both an abundance or a deficiency. In short, synthetic hormones do nothing but present a lot of potential problems for your body.

Also, if you suddenly decide to stop feeding your body those synthetic hormones your body is not aware of your decision until a deficiency begins to form and it is needed to produce natural hormones again. The thing about hormone deficiencies is they can be a bit of a challenge to correct because we are constantly exposed to synthetic hormones on a daily basis. Our air, food, and cosmetics are all guilty of containing such elements.

So, although we can’t do much about avoiding synthetic hormones in our air there are other areas where we can begin to reduce and hopefully eliminate them altogether.

The first product containing boatloads of synthetic hormones is perfume. I had a hard time eliminating this product because I have so many favorite scents from various brands and, let’s be honest, it is really nice to smell nice! However, all perfumes are filled with synthetic ingredients (hormones are just one of the many). The liquid form as well as the application areas make it an easily absorbable product. Spraying the perfume on the skin gives it direct access to your bloodstream through the pores of your skin. Wearing perfume means exposing your body to a multitude of toxins that will only hurt your body and worsen your hormone imbalance. It is impossible to restore balance if you are actively contributing to the imbalance. Perfume smells good, but what is more important…Smelling nice temporarily or being healthy???

Organic essential oils are a fantastic replacement for perfumes and you can find them at a variety of stores. I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs for essential oils. Their products are both good quality and very affordable.

Other products to avoid are scented deodorants and pads or tampons. Once again, we have the scent issue, but when it comes to these easily absorbed products unscented is always the way to go. It can be so easy to overlook everyday products and not even realize just how toxic they are or how influential they can be upon your hormones. But sadly they both possess the ability to easily do so with consistent use. Sensitive Unscented Freedom deodorant is an excellent aluminum-free option if your current deodorant brand does not offer unscented. As for pads or tampons, you can find an unscented product from the majority of products available. If you would like to take the good health of your current pads to the next level, try organic feminine products. Rael is my favorite product because they are so silky smooth and their extensive selection is truly wonderful. Honest is another company with a good selection of organic products.

Makeup is another product to be wary of when it comes to hormones. Unfortunately, pretty much everything in makeup products is synthetic already, but you can make an extra effort to avoid scented products. Unfortunately, this is one product I have not been able to eliminate from my cosmetic regimen despite my strong desire to do so. Those baggies under my eyes won’t cover themselves and I’m still shell-shocked from that one time in high school when I decided not to wear makeup and a classmate asked me if I had a black eye. Yeah, that wasn’t a very fun experience so I do still use makeup, but I actively avoid all scented products. Liquid foundations are frequently guilty of adding a fragrance compound to their products so be wary of this and try to avoid it whenever possible. You may not be able to eliminate makeup completely but at least you can try to make the best of a not so great situation.

As far as food is concerned, there are a few products in particular that have a strong effect on your hormones and should be avoided in order to promote hormonal balance. The first is Rosehip. This herb is most commonly found in herbal teas or dessert type foods, anything with a synthetic rose flavor. It will increase estrogen production within your body, which is why it is known as an estrogen inhibitor. When you’re suffering from seizures caused by estrogen dominance, this is the last thing you want to feed your body.

Red Raspberry Leaf is similar to Rosehip. It is most commonly found in herbal tea form. I have learned the hard way that this herbal tea will greatly increase seizure activity and it will cause an increase in estrogen production. Basically, Red Raspberry Leaf will scramble your hormones even more so than they already are. Completely avoid both whenever possible.

Soy is another food to avoid. Look for codenames for soy in other products such as soy lecithin, soy protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), mono-diglyceride, glycine max, monosodium glutamate (MSG), etc. as well because you will want to avoid every ingredient sourced from soy.

Soybeans are an estrogen inhibitor and they encourage increased estrogen production when consumed. They may seem like a healthy thing to consume because they are a natural food product, but their effect on the human body is negative in more ways than one. Not to mention soy is a common seizure trigger for many epileptics, not just those with Catamenial Epilepsy.

Lastly, make sure to be extra careful with dairy products. For starters, always go organic no matter the extra cost because inorganic products are sourced from cows that have been injected with dozens of hormones. The poor cow is doing its job just fine, but the dairy big-wigs insist on thicker, thinner, sweeter, etc. products and they’re willing to practically poison the cow and therefore the consumer to get their way. It’s always about the bottom line, not the safety of the customer. Even organic dairy products have plenty of flaws that do nothing to help balance your hormones. Vitamins are constantly added even though they don’t belong because they are not naturally-occurring. But the organic companies are expected to compete with the big-wig inorganic companies so the consumer is often sacrificed for the bells and whistles. It’s really unfortunate, in general, but even more so when people aren’t aware that the amazing amount of “Vitamin D” in their product of choice is actually synthetic and will not benefit their bodies at all. Avoiding hormones in your average dairy products can be quite the challenge, which is why I recommend consuming raw dairy as often as possible. Raw means straight from the cow to you. When you go with raw products you can guarantee that your product is just as it is supposed to be…in its natural state and without additives. No synthetic vitamins, no preservatives, and definitely no hormones. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made it impossible to sell these products in grocery stores, therefore you will need to purchase such products from an individual farm. The good news is there are many of these types of farms in existence. You will want to utilize the internet in order to find one that suits your needs.

Well, there you go, these are the three actions I wish I had taken when I was fifteen and newly diagnosed with epilepsy. I know that these changes may seem overwhelming because they will alter your lifestyle, but each will benefit you greatly.

Plus, epilepsy has most likely already flipped your life upside down so what’s a few more changes in the overall scheme of things? Especially when it is a positive change that will promote healing.

The choice is yours.

As always, please feel free to email me (katie@seizethedayblog.com) with any questions you have about the information I shared here on Seize the Day Blog.

 

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text, and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

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Filed Under: Articles, Epilepsy Tagged: bloodwork, brain health, catamenial epilepsy, clean eating, diet, epilepsy, grand Mal seizure, healthy, hormones, organic, partial seizure, seizures, tips, tonic clonic seizure

April 27, 2020

Perfect Springtime Fruit Salad

April 27, 2020

There is something about the combination of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries that makes me long for Summertime! Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much enjoying Spring in California, but there’s always a part of me that longs for the June, July, and August months!

A refreshing fruit salad is a perfect way to celebrate the amazing fruit and veggie season we’re already having thanks to all of those rainy days that took place at the beginning of 2020.

My fruit salad isn’t complicated, on the contrary, it is incredibly simple, but it will make your entire household happy. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are the only ingredients you need. Dice them to fit your preference and mix all three fruits together in a bowl.

Finally, enjoy your beautiful creation!

 

 

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A post shared by Katie | Seize The Day Blog (@seizethedayblog)

 

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text, and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

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Filed Under: Articles, Recipes Tagged: avoid pesticides, catamenial epilepsy, clean eating, epilepsy, fruit salad, healthy, organic, seize the day blog, seizethedayblog, seizure activity, seizures

April 17, 2020

Piña Colada Smoothie Bowl Recipe

April 17, 2020

The humble smoothie bowl is an excellent option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner…although I must admit that I prefer this particular dish for lunch. We all try to be healthy on a daily basis, but sometimes it can be difficult to stay on the “Straight & Narrow Path” that is clean eating when a lot of meal prep is involved. We can’t all spend hours in the kitchen preparing a full-blown meal made from scratch. So how does one get a well-rounded and nutrient-filled meal in a short amount of time?

My typical answer is a smoothie bowl. It’s easy to create your own recipe using the ingredients available in your own fridge and don’t be shy when it comes to creating something new! It’s pretty hard to mess up a smoothie bowl so let your creativity fly! The only equipment you need is a blender…any blender will do the job!

When it comes to my personal smoothie bowls, I like to mix recipes up quite often. I mean, I wouldn’t want to get bored with my lunch. During one of these “mixing it up” sessions, I ended up with a piña colada style smoothie bowl and I really enjoyed it so naturally, I had to share the recipe! If you love the pineapple-coconut flavor combo this smoothie bowl is a must try for you!

Piña Colada Smoothie Bowl Recipe

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SeizeTheDayBlog
April 17, 2020
by SeizeTheDayBlog
Category Recipes
Persons
1
Serving Size
1 bowl
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Piña Colada Smoothie Bowl Recipe

Notes

I try to keep all ingredients Organic to avoid exposure to pesticides. 


Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 lime
  • Ice cubes, optional (to thicken, if necessary)
  • Cinnamon granola, to top
  • Coconut flakes, to top
  • Fresh blueberries, to top

Instructions

  1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth and combined.
  2. Pour smoothie mixture into bowl.
  3. Spread granola, coconut flakes, and blueberries evenly atop your smoothie mixture.

Tags

clean eating,
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coconut flakes,
coconut milk,
from my recipe box to yours,
lime,
organic,
piña colada,
pineapple,
recipes,
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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: clean eating, coconut, coconut flakes, coconut milk, from my recipe box to yours, lime, organic, piña colada, pineapple, recipes, seize the day blog, seizethedayblog, smoothie bowl

April 5, 2020

Homemade Sugar-Free Strawberry Lemonade

April 5, 2020

 

Being sugar-free is always a challenge, but it is especially challenging when trying to make a recipe like lemonade that is practically 90% sugar and 10% lemon juice. It wasn’t easy, but thanks to Lacy Baier from A Sweet Pea Chef, I was able to adapt a lemonade recipe that deliciously mimics the sweet flavor that all lemonade should possess. Warning: It is so delicious and refreshing it will make you long for Summer!

This recipe is a combination of regular lemonade and strawberry juice so I have included both lemonade recipes below. Enjoy!

 

Homemade Sugar-Free Lemonade & Strawberry Lemonade

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SeizeTheDayBlog
April 5, 2020
by SeizeTheDayBlog
Cuisine Beverage
Category Recipes
Serving Size
6 cups
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes

Notes

Homemade Sugar-Free Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strawberry juice

2 cups lemonade (from our previous recipe)

Directions:

1. Add fresh strawberries to a blender and puree them until they are evenly broken down.

2. Then, press pureed strawberries through a fine mesh sieve to get strained strawberry juice.

3. Add 1/2 cup strawberry juice to pitcher followed by 2 cups lemonade. Stir well. Enjoy!


Ingredients

  • 6 cups water, divided
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
  • Strawberry Lemonade:
  • 1/2 cup strawberry juice
  • 2 cups lemonade (from our previous recipe)

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 cup of the water with raw honey and cook over medium-high heat until the honey is dissolved then transfer out of sauce pan and allow to cool. Set aside.
  2. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the bottom of a pitcher, follower by our simple honey syrup, and then fill remainder of the pitcher with remaining 5 cups of water. Stir to combine.
  3. Add ice and enjoy!

Tags

healthy,
homemade,
lemonade,
lemons,
organic,
seize the day blog,
strawberries,
strawberry lemonade,
sugar free

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: healthy, homemade, lemonade, lemons, organic, seize the day blog, strawberries, strawberry lemonade, sugar free

March 27, 2020

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Healthy Homemade Trail Mix

March 27, 2020

Finding healthy and tasty snacks when you’re both sugar-free and gluten-free can be a tad challenging. However, this trail mix is the perfect mix of savory and sweet for those moments when that “case” of the munchies turns into a full-blown investigation…

Plus, if you decide to try the recommended products for the almonds and cashews you will be getting an added bonus from the soaked nuts. Dr. Linda’s products are soaked in saltwater making these nuts an excellent source of magnesium! If you’re deficient in this particular mineral, like me, then you’re definitely going to want to try this product! I speak from experience when I say that these soaked nuts are very tasty and pair well with the flavors of the dried fruit products included in this trail mix recipe!

I used the dried apricots from Made In Nature which you can find on Amazon (link provided) and dried cranberries from Albertson’s O Organics product line, which you can find in Von’s, Albertson’s, or Safeway stores.

You can find Dr. Linda’s products on her website: www.DrLindas.com

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Healthy Homemade Trail Mix

Print this recipe
SeizeTheDayBlog
March 27, 2020
by SeizeTheDayBlog
Category Recipes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
From My Recipe Box to Yours: Healthy Homemade Trail Mix

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cups cashews
  • 1 cup pistachios
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together & store in a sealed container. I prefer to use Ball jars with an air tight lid to preserve the freshness of every ingredient.

Tags

almonds,
cashews,
cranberries,
healthy,
homemade,
organic,
pistachios,
recipe,
seize the day blog,
snack,
trail mix

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: almonds, cashews, cranberries, healthy, homemade, organic, pistachios, recipe, seize the day blog, snack, trail mix

January 8, 2020

Fight Back Against Your Common Cold

January 8, 2020

Herbal teas are used for many different things, but most of all they’re used to heal. Whether it’s a hot cup of tea to bring comfort during a stressful time or to sooth a seasonal cold, tea is great for both!

When I was a kid I used to turn to products such as cough drops and liquid cold medicine. It was common knowledge in my house that those were the types of products you used to fight a cold. However, as an adult I now have allergies and sensitivities that actually prevent me from using the afore mentioned products. At first, this made for some incredibly inconvenient circumstances. Let’s face it, learning a brand new regimen for healing is challenging on any given day, but it is especially tedious when the outcome for my mistake(s) could be 1 or more Grand Mal seizures. It’s a game changer, that’s for sure, but it has taught me to err on the side of caution. So cautious I have been when it comes to introducing potential solutions for healing….

Early on, I learned about the benefits of hot tea. Both herbal and handmade. Here I am ten years later and herbal tea remains my go-to product for fighting the average cold. So here are some of my favorite products and recipes:

As always, organic is your optimal choice when it comes to herbal teas. It is especially important because while your tea bag steeps and becomes stronger, so will those pesticides if you use a non-organic product. This is not beneficial for your body’s ability to fight against a cold nor will it contribute to your body’s long term health. So, do yourself a favor now and just go organic. 

Echinacea Tea – This is probably the most widely known herbal tea for treating the common cold. And there is just cause be-cause this particular leaf is chalk full of beneficial nutrients necessary for you to begin moving toward healing instead of regressing into an even more miserable illness.

+ Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Echinacea-Plus-Pack/dp/B07PVCDS3P/ref=sr_1_4?crid=RD5SPP12U57Z&keywords=traditional+medicinals+echinacea+plus+tea&qid=1578444310&sprefix=traditional+medicinals+chin%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-4

Catnip Tea – While this plant tends to make kitties go crazy, it actually has a calming effect on the human body. It is from the mint family and blends well with others teas from this same family such as peppermint and spearmint. The calming effects are best for soothing sore throats and coughs. When you can’t use a cough drop, this is pretty much a life line for your raw and achy throat. 

+ Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Celebration-Herbals-Organic-Blossom-Caffeine/dp/B01MS85RA2/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-Y2F0bmlwIHRlYQ%3D%3D-ac_d_rm&cv_ct_cx=catnip+tea&keywords=catnip+tea&pd_rd_i=B01MS85RA2&pd_rd_r=53b45c93-3286-4dfb-b8b1-34b91cbd893b&pd_rd_w=xKsp8&pd_rd_wg=mtNHK&pf_rd_p=6d29ef56-fc35-411a-8a8e-7114f01518f7&pf_rd_r=31WE9X6SKGDJ6030VMVS&psc=1&qid=1578444542

Peppermint Tea – The mint family contains some pretty amazing super powers. Like Catnip, this tea also soothes sore throats and coughs. However, Peppermint goes a little further by actually helping the human body in a multitude of other ways as well. For instance, epilepsy patients may want to consider this tea if they are looking for a way to eliminate stress and promote calm behavior. 

This tea has worked for many epileptics (myself, included) and it tastes great hot or cold. But when using it for cold-fighting purposes, it is best to drink it hot. 

This next super power is for the ladies…This tea can also help relieve menstrual cramping. I speak from experience here when I say that the soothing properties of the peppermint leaf do have an effect on those muscles in your lower abdomen as well. I tend to get some pretty bad cramps and this tea has successfully alleviated all pain.   

+ Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Organic-Peppermint-Herbal/dp/B0009F3PJ4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=traditional+medicinals+peppermint+tea&qid=1578444719&s=grocery&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-1

Chamomile Tea – This particular tea is probably my favorite hot tea to drink for pleasure and for therapeutic purposes. The mild taste of the chamomile flower makes for a gentle, yet soothing tonic that has proven time and again for me personally its powerful immune boosting abilities. Some people are scared away by the terms “Gentle” or “Mild” because they are afraid this is code for Cheap, Ineffective, and Weak. Yes, the soothing effects of Chamomile are gentle on your body, however, this does not mean the effects fail to accomplish their purpose. In fact, characteristics such as Gentle and Mild are actually preferred by people like myself who have A LOT of sensitivities to ingredients in general. So, before writing this particular tea off as ineffective, I beg you to try it so that you too may experience the benefits of the chamomile flower. If you would like to increase the positive effects of this tea, add a tablespoon of raw organic honey. Plus, it makes your tea a little sweet and I’m always pro-sweetness! are actually a lifeline for an epileptic like myself because I have A LOT of sensitives to ingredients in tea is not effective. On the contrary, chamomile herbal tea mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey make for one powerful cold-fighting tonic without any synthetic chemicals. Why not give this particular tea a try??? 

+ Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Organic-Chamomile-Pack/dp/B01L9U9KIC/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=traditional+medicinals+chamomile+tea&qid=1578444857&s=grocery&sr=1-4

Honey/Lemon Tea – I usually like to use one tablespoon of honey alone as a cough remedy, however, this tea goes ten steps further and it is amazing! The antibacterial properties from the lemon and the soothing temperature of the warm water make for a magical tonic that really does sooth those annoying coughs! It is especially useful when I cannot get my coughing to stop. Whenever that happens I drink some of this tea. Its simple too! Only 1 lemon, 1 T honey, and however much warm or hot water you wish. Just remember, the less the water, the stronger the flavor so be careful if you’re looking for a mild flavored tea. 

***Side Note: There is quite a large of amount of just straight lemon juice in this recipe so take caution when it comes to your intake. Lemon juice is very harsh on your teeth, therefore, it is best to drink no more than 1-2 times a day. Also, if you would like to take extra precautionary measures, drink through a straw. It is best to drink warm so if you do use warm not hot water this should be doable. If the water is too hot for a straw, no worries, but you should probably brush your teeth after drinking the tea. This is what I like to do in order to try and protect the enamel on my teeth. 

+ Product Recommendation for the Honey:

https://www.amazon.com/Eco-Bee-Farms-HONEY-Unpasteurized/dp/B006MWDFUC/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_0_6/147-4298615-2431315?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B006MWDFUC&pd_rd_r=21a5ab61-88d2-47bf-8e4c-d17ed14044a7&pd_rd_w=WboqI&pd_rd_wg=McRsA&pf_rd_p=b1bfe359-2fd4-467d-b6e5-960dee9202b3&pf_rd_r=29WCACG1WKCJAYX7G8PD&psc=1&refRID=29WCACG1WKCJAYX7G8PD

Ginger-Honey Tea – It’s only three ingredients, but it is packed full of immune boosting ingredients! First, we have the raw organic honey. I prefer to use the product by YS Eco Bee Farms. It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and kosher.  I always love to see these characteristics in a product like honey because I know all of the beneficial properties naturally found in honey haven’t been filtered out during unnecessary exposure to high levels of heat. Nor have these beneficial properties been removed by chemicals. Raw is always better. And this honey makes any amazing addition to any tea, especially this one! Combine the honey with the second ingredient and you have the makings a magical recipe.

Fresh, raw ginger isn’t always the favorite flavor for people, but it sure does protect your body from bad bacteria. It is also wonderful at eliminating the bacteria currently in your body. So, when we’re talking about the common cold, this raw ginger ingredient will help strengthen your body’s immune system in order to prevent getting sick. If you already have a cold, it will build your body’s natural immunities to help you fight and find healing that much sooner. For every other possible situation, it will boost your immune system to keep you healthy all year long. It is important to note that I am talking about ginger root here, not the powdered ginger found on the Spices & Herbs aisle. For this particular ingredient, you’ll want to use a pairing knife to remove the skin of the ginger root, keeping only the bright yellow inside of the root. Remember to take as little of the bright yellow part as possible while carving your ginger root because we want as much of this inside our tea as possible.  Once you have removed all skin, use a cheese grater to shred your ginger root into fine strands. It is important to shred it like this instead of just sticking the whole root into the cup of tea because the shredding process actually allows more of the nutrients to be distributed throughout the entire cup of tea. If you stick the whole body without first shredding many of these beneficial nutrients will remain inside of the thick body of the root.

Lastly, we have the coconut oil. This is one ingredient that is fantastic for everything. You name the problem and I’m sure we could find a way to use this product to help improve “said” circumstances. Clearly I’m a coconut oil fan, but it is for good reason because this oil is just good for you. Everything about it works in your favor and contributes to your long-term health! So often, we find products that are filled with synthetic ingredients that, in reality, aren’t very beneficial at all. Take a magnifying glass to each ingredient’s true colors and you’ll find an ingredient that does more to hurt you than heal you. Inshort, its nice to find a product like coconut oil where the motives of the product are clear: to promote good health. 

Mix these three ingredients together and you’ll have yourself the trifecta tea for fighting a cold. Truth be told, I actually drink this tea everyday with breakfast to boost my immune system and it truly does wonders! In 2019 I only had one cold despite the multiple times throughout the year when members of my own household came down with very serious colds lasting at least 5 days. It’s powerful stuff and it makes you feel great too!  

If you only choose one tea from the list, I recommend this tea because it’s powerful stuff and it makes you feel great too! To learn more, visit my article From My Recipe Box to Yours: Ginger-Honey Tea.

Ginger-Honey Tea Recipe:

1 tsp coconut oil

1 T fresh grated ginger

1-2 T honey, Hot water

 

In conclusion, I hope all of these suggestions are helpful to you and maybe even contribute to your healing when dealing with a cold. However, please remember that these are simply suggestions and should not be viewed as instructions or advice meant to replace that of a medical professional. Always be careful and consult your doctor before making any changes to your healthcare routine. That being said, I wish all of my readers a very happy and healthy new year!! Let’s go 2020!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sources:

1. Catnip Tea Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Celebration-Herbals-Organic-Blossom-Caffeine/dp/B01MS85RA2/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-Y2F0bmlwIHRlYQ%3D%3D-ac_d_rm&cv_ct_cx=catnip+tea&keywords=catnip+tea&pd_rd_i=B01MS85RA2&pd_rd_r=53b45c93-3286-4dfb-b8b1-34b91cbd893b&pd_rd_w=xKsp8&pd_rd_wg=mtNHK&pf_rd_p=6d29ef56-fc35-411a-8a8e-7114f01518f7&pf_rd_r=31WE9X6SKGDJ6030VMVS&psc=1&qid=1578444542

2. Chamomile Tea Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Organic-Chamomile-Pack/dp/B01L9U9KIC/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=traditional+medicinals+chamomile+tea&qid=1578444857&s=grocery&sr=1-4

3. Coconut Oil Tea Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JFTNZ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4. Echinacea Plus Tea Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Echinacea-Plus-Pack/dp/B07PVCDS3P/ref=sr_1_4?crid=RD5SPP12U57Z&keywords=traditional+medicinals+echinacea+plus+tea&qid=1578444310&sprefix=traditional+medicinals+chin%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-4

5. Honey Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Eco-Bee-Farms-HONEY-Unpasteurized/dp/B006MWDFUC/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_0_6/147-4298615-2431315?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B006MWDFUC&pd_rd_r=21a5ab61-88d2-47bf-8e4c-d17ed14044a7&pd_rd_w=WboqI&pd_rd_wg=McRsA&pf_rd_p=b1bfe359-2fd4-467d-b6e5-960dee9202b3&pf_rd_r=29WCACG1WKCJAYX7G8PD&psc=1&refRID=29WCACG1WKCJAYX7G8PD

6. Peppermint Tea Product Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Organic-Peppermint-Herbal/dp/B0009F3PJ4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=traditional+medicinals+peppermint+tea&qid=1578444719&s=grocery&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-1

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog
Filed Under: Alternatives, Articles Tagged: bad bacteria, catnip, chamomile, coconut oil, cold & flu season, cold season, cough, echinacea, epilepsy, fever, flu season, ginger, good health, healthier, healthy, herbal tea, homemade tea, honey, immune booster, immune system, lemon, menstrual cramps, menstrual cycles, organic, peppermint, periods, runny nose, seize the day blog, seizethedayblog

October 4, 2019

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Steak Nachos

October 4, 2019

One of my favorite things about living in California is the amazing selection of Mexican Food! You can find a different amazing Mexican restaurant on practically every corner. Okay, maybe I’m over exaggerating a tiny bit, but there are lots of options! I am absolutely positive that I will never get tired of nachos, enchiladas, burritos, salsa, or guacamole…if that was going to happen I’m pretty sure it would have already during my 26 years of living in Southern California. To say that I’m grateful for this selection is an understatement. So naturally I also enjoy making lots of my own Mexican-inspired dishes, such as the Steak Nachos you can see pictured above.

This cuisine type is also fantastic for those of you who are gluten-free! They have made amazing strides with corn and seeing as though I was 100% gluten-free for the first half of this year, this was truly a God-send! Corn chips and corn tortillas open up an entire gateway to delicious food options for those trying to avoid gluten. Sometimes a meat and veg dish just doesn’t quite hit the spot…cue the nachos, tacos, and chips and salsa!

Needless to say, I ate A LOT of Mexican food from January through August, but even now I’m still not tired of any of these dishes. I do believe my own experience is worth mentioning for those trying to avoid gluten because it is easy to forget that there are both corn and flour tortillas available. Choose the corn and you’re good to go!

This recipe is fabulous with both chicken or steak so feel free to branch out from the steak. Also, if you like a little extra kick to your nachos, dice a jalapeño and top to taste. Enjoy!

“The only problem is whenever I try to make a taco, I get too excited and crush it.” – Kevin, The Office

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Steak Nachos

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SeizeTheDayBlog
October 4, 2019
by SeizeTheDayBlog
Cuisine Mexican
Category Articles Recipes
Persons
1
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
10 minutes
From My Recipe Box to Yours: Steak Nachos

Ingredients

  • Grilled, Thinly Sliced 6 oz Steak, seasoned w/ salt & pepper
  • 1 8 oz can Pinto Beans
  • Monterey Jack Cheese, grated & top to taste
  • Jalapeños, diced to taste
  • Green Onions, diced to taste
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 Lime, squeeze juice to taste
  • Tortilla Chips

Instructions

  1. 1. Prep your 6 oz steak with salt and pepper. Grill to your liking. I recommend cooking until Medium.
  2. 2. Place pinto beans in a medium sauce pan and cook according to product directions.
  3. 3. Grate Monterey Jack cheese, set aside.
  4. 4. Dice jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro. Slice lime in half. Set aside.
  5. 5. Spread tortilla chips evenly across a rectangular 12 inch glass pan. Add as many or as few chips as you prefer. But you will need an even layer across the bottom.
  6. 6. Spread one an even layer of grated cheese across chips. Layer all other ingredients on top of chips. Add one more even layer of cheese across the top of your nachos. You can add as much or as little cheese to meet your preference.

Tags

cilantro,
clean eating,
epilepsy,
health,
homemade,
lime,
nachos,
organic,
recipe,
seize the day blog,
seizures,
steak,
tortilla chips,
wellness

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Filed Under: Articles, Recipes Tagged: cilantro, clean eating, epilepsy, health, homemade, lime, nachos, organic, recipe, seize the day blog, seizures, steak, tortilla chips, wellness

April 16, 2019

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Southwestern Salad w/ Grilled Chicken

April 16, 2019

The Southwestern Salad with Grilled Chicken has been a recent, but popular addition to my recipe box. I love the variety of healthy ingredients this simple salad offers the consumer. With an arugula base, some might find this salad to be a little too flavorful, but the toppings and the Avocado Cilantro Dressing mesh together perfectly giving you one delicious meal! It makes a wonderful meal option for both Lunch and Dinner. The best part is that you can make this recipe in less than 20 minutes!

You can also remove the chicken for a vegan-friendly meal! I just can’t help but love the simple things in life and this recipe is definitely one of them! If you choose to use the Avocado Cilantro Dressing recipe (as pictured above) found here on Seize the Day Blog you will have a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Sugar-Free entree for the the whole family!

Bon appétit!

 

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Southwestern Chicken Salad

Print this recipe
SeizeTheDayBlog
April 16, 2019
by SeizeTheDayBlog
Category Recipes
Persons
4

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz Chicken Breast
  • 1 5 oz Container of Arugula, rinsed
  • 1 14 oz can Black Beans
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 cup fresh Cilantro, leaves & stems
  • 1 cup Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
  • 1 Cucumber, chopped
  • 1 Lime, to top each individual salad
  • Garlic Salt, to taste
  • Tortilla Chips, optional topping

Instructions

  1. Begin by prepping the chicken breast. Cover each side with garlic salt or to your preference and grill until fully cooked.
  2. Pour black beans into sauce pan and cover with lid, set aside on stove. The beans do not take very long to cook so wait until the very end of your meal prep to begin cooking.
  3. Rinse arugula and place in a medium sized glass bowl.
  4. Chop the avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper into bite size pieces. Slice cilantro so that you get both the leaves and the upper stem. Add to bowl of arugula.
  5. Return to black beans and cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain beans, set aside in bowl.
  6. Slice cooked chicken into bite size pieces. I recommend adding the beans and chicken very last because of their warmer temperature.
  7. Once all ingredients have been prepped, cooked (if necessary), and added to the bowl of arugula thoroughly mix your salad.
  8. Add a squeeze of lime to enhance the flavor of the salad and drizzle with your dressing of choice.

Tags

avocado,
avocado lime dressing,
cilantro,
clean eating,
cucumber,
dairy free,
from my recipe box to yours,
gluten free,
green bell pepper,
grilled chicken,
nutrition,
organic,
raw dairy products,
seize the day blog,
southwestern salad,
tomatoes

Thank you for visiting Seize the Day Blog! You can provide your feedback on this recipe by emailing me (katie@seizethedayblog) or through Twitter and Instagram (@seizethedayblog). Thank you!

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website. 

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog
Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: avocado, avocado lime dressing, cilantro, clean eating, cucumber, dairy free, from my recipe box to yours, gluten free, green bell pepper, grilled chicken, nutrition, organic, raw dairy products, seize the day blog, southwestern salad, tomatoes

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About Me

Hi, I'm Katie! I was diagnosed with Catamenial Epilepsy when I was 16 years old. What started out to be an impossible struggle has now become a journey toward healing thanks to natural/Holistic methods.
For the last 6 years, I have continuously gone through a trial and error period where I have been discovering for myself the true quality of various foods, products, and lifestyles.
I am going to share everything I have learned with the hope that it will help you to begin your healthy lifestyle that much faster. Read More…

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