We soon will be going on vacation so that means we will be on the road with 5 kids. So really have been thinking about how to make the ride some what fun and make time go by faster. I have been doing some searches and I am excited about this link I will mention. So many wonderful tips on what to do on the road. Free things to print, games to play, free audio stories to download, there are tips for all ages. I don't have the money to buy a bunch of stuff so this is going to be great!!! Well enough said here go ahead and check out the link if you will be traveling soon this will be so helpful!!


Welcome to Mom's Minivan.com ! Road Trip Fun! Car Games! Travel Games & Road TripTips for the family! Planning a road trip? Traveling with kids? Need some games to play in the car? Ideas to keep kids busy in the car? Here's a part of your travel planning that you can't leave without! MomsMinivan.com has over 101 ideas for fun things for kids to do in the car, kids travel games, printable car games and activities, and road-trip tips. They are organized by age group, so have a look around - there's something for everyone!

I have learned that when you want to get something done and keep it that way you must form a habit which takes several days before it ever really becomes a habit. So many different goals to set. So hard to get there.....Here is a great motivator that I am using that a friend shared with me. It is called habbitforge...

It takes 21 days to form a habit.

This coming Thursday we have another GI appointment coming up, this time for my 15 yr old. We will also be making plans for my 2 yr old on the biopsy to find if he has celiac disease. One question that has been running through my head is do we really need to have it done? Can't we just cut out the gluten now and see what happens? At first suspicion of possible celiac disease why not cut out gluten? Cutting out gluten can give false reading's on test. So this is why I have not cut it out before. Now my question is now that I know he is at high risk should i go ahead with the biopsy or just cut out the gluten? The link below has help me with some of my question though I still plan to have questions ready for doctor on Thursday. Thanks for stopping by Simply Living, rroadwetravel ....

Confirming a Diagnosis of Celiac Disease

As a celiac, I often encounter people who have read or heard of celiac disease, cut out gluten and felt better. Then they have diagnosed themselves as celiacs. My understanding is that anyone who thinks they are celiac should NOT go on a gluten free diet, since it interferes with correct diagnosis. Could you comment on this trend?
Kathleen in Ottawa

Dr. Crowe responds: Monica, you ask a very relevant question, since the trend of going gluten-free before celiac disease is confirmed is becoming more and more common. The simple answer to your question is no, there is no one test that can confirm celiac disease once you have been on a gluten-free diet for a long period of time. Kathleen in Ottawa (my hometown) aptly labeled this as a “trend,” and she is also correct in pointing out that eliminating gluten before a diagnosis is made can indeed interfere with making a proper diagnosis of celiac disease.

Going on a gluten-free diet for many months, and particularly for a year or more, can lead to the most commonly used diagnostic tests for celiac disease to no longer being helpful. Even intestinal biopsies can go back to a normal or near-normal appearance if you have been gluten-free for a long time. Without an intestinal biopsy that shows the abnormalities of celiac disease, you cannot be diagnosed with celiac disease. (I know I have said this already but it is a key point to hammer home.)

Even if you feel better on a gluten-free diet, this does not mean you have celiac disease. One study showed that only 36 percent of patients who felt better on a gluten-free diet actually had celiac disease. Often, feeling better without gluten in your diet is transient, and then you are left not knowing the true cause of your problem.

Another reason for not going on a gluten-free diet without a true diagnosis of celiac disease is that it may encourage family members to be screened for the disease, even though you may not really have it. As Lara Field, pediatric dietitian specializing in celiac disease at the University of Chicago (http://www.feedkids.com) points out, going gluten-free can also lead to certain nutritional deficiencies, so you should be certain of the diagnosis before committing you — and perhaps your entire family — to this diet. Studies in the United States, Canada and the U.K. also show that the cost of eating gluten-free products is two to three times greater than comparable gluten-containing products. So taking on this extra expense without being certain such treatment is necessary may not be a wise financial decision.

Of course, if a diagnosis of celiac disease is confirmed, treatment with a gluten-free diet is mandatory. In that case, I encourage working with a knowledgeable dietitian/nutritionist to help you in your quest to eat a balanced and nutritious gluten-free diet.

We may be on the road to a G-Free Diet. I have 2 children at risk of having celiac disease, my 2 yr olds lab results shows a higher risk than his brother. Tomorrow morning I take my 2 yr old to the GI doctor. I am so glad my husband a while back got a book "The G-Free Diet" by Elizabeth Hasselbeck I just recently re read it. I am sure it will be a book I go back to often as it is very helpful!! Mondays Mentions The G-Free Diet: Elizabeth Hasselbeck

I am taking a course on Natural Family Health. With all that life has thrown at us I had stopped for a while. I now have picked back up on it. This is an awesome course!!! If you are wanting to learn more about Whole health consider http://www.naturallyhealthy.org/ and get your course from Shonda Parker or buy some of her books which it on sale by the way. She brings balance in Natural Health she is not extreme on one end or the other. You learn about whole health, body spirit and mind. Health is not spoken a part from God. In fact in her course she recognizes God, father, son and holy spirit as our true source of health. You will learn about the best foods to eat and what they do for your body and so much more so go ahead and check out the link above. Shonda is an absolute blessing!!!

My desire is to learn all I can about healthy living so that I may help strengthen my family's immune system and put into practice what I learn.

As we know there are foods that we can eat and foods that we don't eat (and much to learn about them) that can make us ill.We also need to be careful as to what we feed our souls there are things like bitterness, anger and unforgivness that can make us ill. Just yesterday on the course I was reading about bitterness. Never really thought of myself as being bitter. Anytime someone hurts us even the littlest things that may get to us can turn into bitterness if we don't let it go. Bitterness only hurt us not the people who may have offended us. Pay back doesn't help because the bitterness stays with us and destroys us. I have learned that continually thinking about things that one does or doesn't do only causes bitterness and it is my problem so I must ask for forgiveness and just let it go. The bitterness was starting to get in the way of me moving forward. Care to join me as we let go and walk the simply healthful steps on this journey we call life.



Charity Gordon

2010 A Step Closer to Our Goals

Not to long ago i tried to put my family and i on a 12 day challenge. No meat and lots of veggies and beans. Didn't go well at all. From the get go one of my teenagers complained and said he was NOT on this challenge. My DH didn't complain but i think by the third night he went and got a late night snack (big juicy burger) (oh did i mention i snuck out and got me a candy bar) one of my daughters was great though she thanked me for trying so hard. It was also a challenge trying to get my toddler to eat the veggies. He is diabetic so that was a challenge. I also was trying to cut a lot of the breads out. No sandwiches my toddler really likes sandwiches but he seems to not be able to stomach the gluten. Anyway i think by day three i had just given up. Why was i challenging us to no meat? Normally for my family i would not take such a challenge i am all for the good meats in moderation. What brought me to this place is a movie i watch called raw foods. It was about several people who had diabetes who went to this center where they went on a like three months challenge (now can't remember how long it was) where they only ate raw foods and no foods with sugar (i believe no fruits) anyway many of these people by the end was soon off meds and insulin. Most of them were type two diabetics but 2 were type 1 and there was a change in them as well. Once they were at the end they were able to eat more variety but but still i believe vegan. Here is a link to there website http://www.treeoflife.nu/home-index/ Anyway i wasn't going to do exactly what they did i wasn't going to stick with all raw foods i still was going to allow them to have fruit and it was only going to be 12 days. Since i didn't have the outside help i needed. I have two children with diabetes and want to really try and help them in anyway i can. One of my sons that has type 1 diabetes also has two other diseases. In my studies vegan diet could be very helpful to us ex specially with disease in our family. This in my personally opinion is not for every one. And of course when going on vegan diet food exchange and supplementing is very important.
OK so for the new year challenge i was invited to a 21 day kick start vegan diet that starts on new years day. This seems pretty cool cause they will have recipes and send you emails to encourage you. Just the outside help i need!! It is also free. This is the link http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart I think this time i am not going to tell anyone that this is what i am doing i am just going to do it. I am curious what the meals will be like me having a big family i am sure I will have to make some changes. Also when they talk of this diet they talk of losing weight. This is not what i want for my family all my children do not need to lose weight and one really needs to put on a few pounds. So i may need to make a few alterations there. We shall see how it goes i will share with you how we are doing. Also at the end of the 21 days i may introduce meat back maybe have one feast day a week or something.
During the new year i not only want to pay close attention to our diet but i too want to be sure i pay close attention to God. In fact much more than food. Even if we are physically in tip top shape without Him we can be pretty darn sick. He is our true source of life and health. So i am going on a 2010 constantly seeking God challenge.
http://journeydeeperin2godsword.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/2010-constantly-seeking-god-challenge/
I also want to put together a program or goal for exercise and house keeping my home needs organized and a place of comfort and place we can invite others. I will have more on these goals later. I will also have goals for my biz. My family is my sunshine and it is my hearts desire to bring health to them in every way. Many time i don't follow my heart (lose sight along the way) but i hope to at least get a step closer!! Join me in 2010 a step closer to our goals!!!

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Php 1:6

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