This is the juicer I am looking to purchase! So glad you posted this. I was debating between the Champion, the Vert 350 HD and the 8006. I have an old juicer from our wedding in 1993 and I do think it's time to upgrade. :) Christina

I used to wonder the same thing. Then I went to a talk by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and I learned that it is what she calls a GAPS condition and the cure is the GAPS diet. I never connected the pickiness and finickiness to a gut condition, but when she described that it is the number 1 sign for a child who could benefit from the GAPS diet it made sense. The gut is imbalanced and as it changes the tastes and textures change. We started the diet in late February, but really got serious in August and about 3 weeks into GAPS Intro in August my dd and ds all of a sudden were willing to eat foods regularly that they wouldn't touch before. It was amazing. It's a two year plan, could be shorter, could be longer, but the goal is to balance the gut with real foods (no additives or preservatives) and the challenge is the restriction of no grains, no starches and no sugar while the gut is healing. Her website is gaps.me if you are interested. The best online group for help is a yahoo group called gapshelp and another one called gapsdiet. Several of my friends and even a few of their children are now on the GAPS diet and they have seen results that make the challanges worth the effort.

I'm sorry, that stinks! I keep seeing people mention this site, although you couldn't get them tomorrow but the prices are great. http://www.zennioptical.com/ Do you happen to have an old pair?

A student at Penn State who went to my highschool posted his perspective on the situation last night. Interesting to read this directly from someone who was there. http://www.myveronanj.com/2011/11/10/penn-state-right-and-wrong-a-student-view/ Christina

I injected myself once when I was demonstrating what I thought was the tester. It hurt or burned from what I remember! And made my heart race for a little while. The heart racing felt similar to when I used to take albuterol for an allergic reaction. Nothing major but I am an adult. Is he hyper? What's his heartrate? It should be normal by now. It's definitely a good idea to get them up out of reach, but still keep them accessible and visible. Ds8 is my youngest and the most allergic. He just never really found the EpiPens to play with, but he knew early on what they were for. The part about going to the ER after use is mainly for breakthrough reactions, meaning if the EpiPen wears off and the reaction returns, it's better to be in the ER than at home with a spent EpiPen. Once you go you are supposed to wait 4 hours, since the EpiPen could last as little as 20 minutes or as long as a couple hours in a smaller child. It's also best to always have 2 Epi's for this same reason. I think if you called poison control and he doesn't have any symptoms he should be fine, but if he is acting strange or his heart is racing still you should have him checked.

We went on full GAPS at the end of February and started GAPS Intro August 1st. Backwards I know but we needed the transition to step down to less choices. First week was rough but so important. DS8 vomited the first two days, likely a hypoglycemic reaction since he was eating too much fruit and honey on Full GAPS. Dd10 also had too much, and she was fine the first two days, but then had 3 days of nausea. By day 6 everyone was back on track. I actually spoon fed stock to ds8 and sometimes ds10 for the first 3 weeks just to get it in them. I explained that the good guys need reinforcements, but the bad gut guys hate stock, and my dc have to help the good guys win the battle! I noticed a turning point about then and told ds8 that he would have to eat the stock on his own if he wanted to continue to play games like the Wii, but if I spoon fed him like a baby then he could not play since he was acting like a 1 year old and 1 year olds can't play. It was hard this summer to give up doing as much because we had to cook or take time to get everyone to eat stock and all their good foods, but it has been so worth it. The changes are amazing! During GAPS Intro I required 4 cups of stock per day to count it as a day on Intro. We did about 4 days per stage, and followed both the GAPS book and the What Can I Eat Now, 30 days on GAPS Intro guidebook that I purchased. I made a spreadsheet chart for each child to check off to make sure they were having each food at each meal - stock, meat, veggie, fat, then later ferment, egg yolk, etc. They only charted for about 10 days and I didn't start it until Stage 3. We are now on a Stage 5/Full GAPS type of diet, meaning we will still avoid fruit and honey, and have 2-3 cups of stock per day, but have otherwise finished GAPS Intro. We will be starting a Candida protocol with S. Boulardii this week in combination with Custom Probiotics. I am avoiding Biokult for now due to a dairy allergic child. The diet is wonderful and challenging at the same time. My previous picky eater is SO MUCH BETTER. He is eating about 4 meals a day and we finally figured out that if we feed him enough stock and fat he doesn't get cranky! Same with our other 2 children and me too. Meat stock and bone broth are amazing foods. Ds8 still has many food allergies, but got back eggs on August 8th. We did do an NAET treatment series for egg last summer and fall, but I waited until GAPS Intro when you are supposed to try egg yolks to give him one. I did the sensitivity test the night before. He is eating so much more than before. He used to fight us and only want sweets and carby foods like grains, and now he drinks stock with a straw and requests it, not because he likes it since he holds his nose, but because he knows it is nonnegotiable. My dd10 got back cauliflower and is less picky as well. My ds12 got rid of his ADD, but it came back on GAPS Intro Stage 1. It is mainly gone again but he had to go through the trial and error with organic peanut butter pancakes to find out that he is reacting to it. Same with Sunbutter pancakes we think. My IBS is nearly gone, and it was debilitating before. It was a bit rough during detoxing on GAPS Intro, and I still am avoiding raw veggies, but I was having trouble with cooked veggies before and am not anymore! We actually just arrived home from a week in Virginia - Homeschool week at Colonial Williamsburg for 3 days, Virginia Beach for 1 day, then a day at Yorktown and a day at Jamestown also for homeschool weeks. We left our thermos' in our van and went back there to eat each day. It worked out well. We stayed in a Staybridge Suites with a kitchen and full refrigerator and brought our own food. We cooked everyday but did find out that the scrambled eggs are plain with no butter, milk or additives and they also have boiled eggs. Of course they are not pastured so we mainly ate our own eggs that we brought. We brought all of our other food, but found out that Kroger has an organic section & Fresh Market has some organic food too. We never made it to Trader Joe's. We also brought a Big Berkey water filter which was nice to have. We ate out once on ds8's 8th birthday, we went to Outback Steakhouse in Virginia Beach and explained we have food allergies and a special diet and just needed plain steaks (ds8 got lamb) and steamed veggies without seasonings. They were very accommodating but it was expensive! I brought my own small jar of ghee, sauerkraut in a baggie and plain beef stock in my big purse and just asked for an empty coffee cup. We brought 2 crockpots (my ds8 is allergic to beef) so we could have ready to go food for the day. We now own 12 wide and short Thermos' so we can bring at least 2 per person each day. We also own Kleen Kanteens so we can have good tasting filtered water with us at all times. So I wouldn't suggest traveling during the first few weeks of GAPS Intro mainly because of the detox reactions, but once you get past Intro traveling on Full GAPS is easy of you can drive and cook at your destination.

I used to have that! Stiff hands, worse on the left side, numbness and tingling. I believe it is related to gut dysbiosis plus an overgrowth of Candida. I finally went on the GAPS diet after pondering about whether I wanted to for almost a year. Now that stiffness, numbness and tingling went away. I think it's diet related and can be healed. GAPS diet means no sugar, no grains, no starches, but real food and real healing. I also believe rheumatoid arthritis can be healed by the GAPS diet. gaps.me I plan to start the Candida reducing part of GAPS next week.

You can download the Nook software to your computer. One way to test it is to go the the Nook Facebook page (assuming one of you has Facebook) and download the Free Friday Nook Book. Every Friday there is a different free book. There are full books and samples available. The samples seem to say Sneak Peek, or Free Preview or First 20 or 30 Chapters in the title but honestly I have missed that part too. When you go to download the Nook book from your library, you could choose to Download Now or Get a Free Sample and that can be confusing too!

Have you ever heard of the GAPS Diet/Protocol? It helps heal many things including gut dysbiosis which mimics Celiac. GAPS is a modification of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) which has been used since the 1950s to heal many of what looks like or mimics Celiac. So even if a test is not conclusive, these diets have you remove the offending foods - disaccharides and polysaccharides - and limit yourself to monosaccharides for a period time. We cut out all grains (wheat, rye, rice, quinoa, etc.) and starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, etc.). We cut out sugar and all sugar substitutes and only use honey as a sweetener and only occasionally (once a month in a grain free muffin). Most start feeling better in a short amount of time, but healing takes at least 2 years, meaning you can't go back to the offending foods for that long or the problem might recur. Many don't want to ever return to the Standard American Diet, but a modified version which does include grains but properly prepared (sourdough, sprouted or soaked). The GAPS Diet, especially the GAPS Intro phase, has you focus on eating meat stock (chicken, beef, fish, etc.) to help heal and seal the lining of your gut. Chicken stock is quite similar to the lining of your gastrointestinal tract so having a lot of it helps. We have been on a quasi version of the GAPS Diet since February, but just started GAPS Intro which is a stricter part for several weeks usually. GAPS Intro cuts out all fruit, nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy, etc. and has you slowly introduce one at a time to see if there are any foods you are reacting to but don't realize. Many surprisingly find out they need to heal before handling dairy or nuts or something that they didn't realize was causing inflammation, which triggers gut dysbiosis. Once finished with this phase, most likely in a few weeks, we will return to Full GAPS for another year and a half or two. My IBS is quite improved, although it recurs if I eat things that are on GAPS but I can't handle yet so I know I have more healing to do. My children have also healed as in some of their symptoms are gone (ADD), yet they also have more healing to do. Did I want to do this diet? Absolutely NOT! I knew about it over a year ago and didn't want to do it. It seemed too hard, to restrictive, etc. I have since met many people who have done it and had success.

Have you considered the GAPS diet or at least going Gluten Free/sugar free/ casein free? We are on the GAPS Diet and we have eliminated Grains, Starches and Sugar. We found that one of my dc stop having symptoms of ADD within a week of starting GAPS. I did too. When I first noticed it my brain felt "crystal clear". "Crystal Clear" is now my normal feeling. No more brain fog or confusion unless I am dehydrated, hungry or very tired. GAPS is a temporary albeit 2 year diet that heals the gut. Eventually one might be able to return to eating gluten although it's not the grain to start with after the 2 years of healing.

I'm having a great day! We went to church last night after the kid's choir concert so we could sleep in, so I did. When I woke up dh was showering b/c dd wanted to go back to church so she wouldn't miss her Sunday School (even though she had the same lesson last night. My cousin from California called and I spoke to him for a long time, while I was on the phone my uncle called from Tampa. Dh marinated the lamb that we will have tonight, but he just called from Whole Foods buffet and asked what I want for lunch. No gift but that's not my love language - and we just discussed this a couple weeks ago in our last marriage class @ church. Mine are acts of service and quality time. So I'm getting the acts of service now, and I know the quality time will be later. So mellow, relaxing and no stress - it's been grand!

St Barnabas in Livingston, Hackensack in Hackensack, St Joe's in Paterson, St Peter's in New Brunswick (central NJ) Here is link that I found from 2007 but most likely still valid: http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/169788-advice-needed-good-hospital-nj-2.html

I would try again. Have you made it by heating it before? You might try that way first, and then try the low temp yogurt. That's what I decided to do after a low temp fail. The yogurt I make tastes sweet to us, but we have been off sugar for more than a month so carrot and other veggies taste sweet. I make mine with raw milk and GI Prostart Yogurt starter. I do heat mine to 180 F. I'd like to try the low temp yogurt again but mine was sour too when I made it once with leftover yogurt & a different farmer's raw milk. I let it cool down to 110 and add 1/16 of a tsp of the starter into each quart & use my immersion blender to blend it in. I put it in my dehydrator at 105 F for 24 hours and it comes out very thick with nothing else added. Refrigerate for a couple hours and it's good to go! I've also used the GI Prostart Yogurt starter (it's dairy free) to make Coconut Milk Yogurt & I do add Porcine Gelatin & honey to that for my beef and milk allergic ds. Christina

I received this book Healthy 4 Life at the Weston A Price Conference (lots of organic farmers were there!) this is the PDF version so you can see the content. You can order the book if you prefer http://www.westonaprice.org/component/content/38/2117-healthy-4-life This video is certainly an eye opener: The Oiling of America - Sally Fallon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_O46Bml5JU If you want to take notes on the actual Powerpoint here it is. There are notes on the Powerpoint already so change your view within Powerpoint to see them before you type a lot! Powerpoint - OilofAmerica.ppt http://www.newtrendspublishing.com/OOA/index.php Here is a version that she might relate to: Underground Wellness raps on the Oiling of America. Heart Disease! He has many videos of this same style if this style appeals to her. Fat Loss 101: How Carbs Make You Fat! Hatin on grains 5 Fake Foods Sugar: The Bitter Truth (The SHORT Version) Are You a Sugar Addict? Here is blog on The Curse of Carbs http://www.lifeisapalindrome.com/articles/curse-carbs Here is a video of Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride giving a talk about GAPS (why a sugar free, grain free diet to heal): http://vimeo.com/10507542 . Christina

Hi Melissa! I haven't seen you in awhile! It sounds like she might need Spongia (croup) or Bryonia(constant coughing) or some other specific remedy. I never got far with the multi-remedy solutions and understood why once we started consulting a homeopath. We now only use classical homeopathy which means one remedy at a time and watery doses (put pellets in water and succuss as needed). My youngest ds had a croupy cough about 2 weeks ago, but one dose of Spongia cleared him up. I've been doing this for 5 years and have learned something about homeopathy along the way so I didn't call my homeopath for this one. Here is an article on colds, coughs, and flu for some ideas: http://www.drluc.com/colds-caughs.htm It could also be season allergies since everything is sprouting now! Does she have post nasal drip induced coughing? We used to get that but not really much anymore. The next few weeks the tree pollen and the grass pollen combine in our area to make a lovely mix of serious pollen! Here is an article on allergies: http://www.drluc.com/allergies.htm We started with Arsenicum in 2006 for seasonal allergies and switched to the specific remedy each kid needs by the end of the Spring. I also take a different remedy. They don't take it much these days (once a month to every few months) since they have taken it over the years at increasing potency they don't need much anymore. One takes Calc Carb, one takes Pulsatilla, one takes Sulfur(but might switch to Pulsatilla for 1 week in May) and I take Sepia. We take Psorinum in March before the season. Also we are off all sugar and all grains which helps with how our bodies handle allergies and fights illnesses. We also take Ester C or Acerola © which helps with histamine. We take FCLO daily with Fish Oil and the A & D in FCLO helps immensely with immunity. Christina

We struggle with this too. We started the GAPS Diet, all of us. This means no sugar and no grains. I have found it helps balance blood sugar so no one is starving in the morning although this is a side benefit. Eating anything high carb or high sugar the night before used to make me wake up starving. Not anymore on GAPS. Behavior has improved greatly also in the kids and in me. ADD is virtually gone, although there is still procrastination and a preference for Legos over getting work done. Legos now stay upstairs so they are not a distraction. We start the day with Fermented Orange Oslo Cod Liver Oil(1/2 tsp), Carlson's Lemon Fish Oil(2 tsp) and a little Orange Juice. This near TBSP of good fat helps hold the kids off before breakfast. I have to be prepared for breakfast if we need to go anywhere and they don't have time to make it themselves. I require that they eat some type of meat or eggs and fat like butter or bacon fat or the fat that is in sausage (homemade from ground pork and spices). I make sure we have sausages ready for the kids to eat cold or they can heat them up. I might make bacon and eggs some mornings, but other mornings I might not have time. The oldest two can make eggs themselves (ds12 & dd9), otherwise they may have yogurt and fruit, but I will have a stash of boiled eggs ready also. Youngest is allergic to yogurt so sometimes I make Coconut Milk yogurt after I make coconut milk. It takes about an hour of prep plus overnight in the dehydrator so I don't do it often. Sunbutter for the two allergic to Peanut butter is also helpful, but the oldest will have a spoonful of peanut butter if he needs it. We will also eat leftovers for breakfast. My youngest will always go for fruit without fat or protein, and I am working on changing this in him. He knows I require the protein/fat combination, but still I have to remind him to eat by saying - go eat 4-8 sausage balls (1 tsp each) and he does (he used to refuse emphatically before GAPS). I also make him a stock based soup made with 1 qt homemade chicken bone broth, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups of broccoli, 2 TBSP of coconut oil, sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg. I use a stick blender to mix it together and he eats about 1 cup at a time. I try to get this or a zucchini similar version in him daily. It really fills him up. My oldest ds at 5'2" was over 120 lbs and started wearing a size 18. He was looking chunky. He has lost weight on GAPS, about 12 lbs., not by trying to lose weight, but by not eating grains or sugar. He does not want to get below 105 lbs. I have also lost about 12 lbs and so has my dh. The kitchen must close every morning, since you know it needs a rest too :001_smile:. I am still working on this one, but I find if they have closed water cups (spill resistant) at the table and have eaten good fat and some protein, they can actually get work done for a couple of hours!

Have you looked at the GAPS diet? That's the diet we are on and the one many talk about as helping heal many many ASD children. It's hard at first since many kids are very picky eaters but once you get through the initial change the kids prefer the good healing foods. My kids had irrational fears and we started with homeopathy and now do both homeopathy and GAPS. Food can trigger behavior and lack of certain nutrients can also affect behavior.

Yes I'll be at ENOCH too. We better to get to Harold's earlier though, since it seemed like we closed the place last time and they weren't thrilled with our tardiness! I'm doing the GAPS diet (no grains, no sugar) but I know I'll be able to share a plate with someone. :001_smile: I'll also be at the CFC Conference in your area in August. I hope you are going to that!

Road Trip in June sounds fun! Wish you could be there too!

I am, but you know that already! :001_smile:

You didn't FAIL, you had a setback! You can move ahead now that you have that over with. Restart, rethink and move on! Tomorrow is Spring forward for our clocks, and you can spring forward too! Sugar is an addiction, it really is. A nutritionist friend of mine said sugar was only one molecule away from heroin. I don't have any science to back that up, but it _feels_ like it. Are you eating fat? We started the GAPS diet and will move to GAPS Intro soon keeping out foods that would cause more candida symptoms. Good ol' Saturated Fat is your friend - coconut oil, ghee, butter, tallow, lard, schmaltz, lamb fat, duck fat, goose fat. I was just looking at this today http://cookinggaps.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/rendering-fats-at-home-primer-lesson-one/ If you think saturated fat is not allowed on a Candida clearing diet, it is on the ones I know about. Fat is so filling that it's hard to overeat, it helps curb the cravings. Sugar and carbs are not like that, you can eat & eat them and never feel full if you just wait long enough! There are lots of recipes in the GAPS Cookbook, SCD web pages, Pecanbread, etc. Tonight was sausage and peppers with tomato sauce. You can make your own sausage with ground pork and spices. We do that for breakfast sausages too. Lunch was leftover beef stew - beef cubes, beef broth, butter(or ghee, or tallow, or coconut oil), onion, red & green pepper, zucchini, rutabaga, tomatoes, sea salt, cumin, oregano, chili, crushed red peppers if you want spiciness. I also made Taco Salad last night for my ds that is allergic to beef - ground pork instead of beef, spices, boston lettuce, tomatoes. Have you tried using grated cauliflower in place of rice? There are several recipes including Cauliflower Fried Rice, Cauliflower (in place of Potato) Salad, Cream of Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup - made this without the homemade coconut milk and it was just as good as with it. Shredded Brussel Sprouts with sugar free bacon, Salmon and Broccoli with garlic.

Yes! I brought my dd9 in to a COVD for a VT evaluation a year ago and after a very thorough exam he realized that her prescription was wrong and she did not need VT. She was given distance glasses for near sightedness and he realized she was not nearsighted, she was over focusing and needed reading glasses. She had a follow up about 6-7 weeks later and had shown great improvement, especially when she remembers to bring her glasses. One day at piano she had gone in and I found her glasses in our van. I brought them in to her and her teacher commented at the end of her lesson what a great improvement the glasses made! It's time to schedule her yearly followup.

The price on the Yesterday's Classics bundle went up EXCEPT for this link which is still $99. This is a fundraiser and all proceeds go to www.wheelsfornoah.com - see below for details. http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/o/hah.php Christina

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Definitely sound like a nursing strike. I remember my La Leche League Leader telling us about a 10 day nursing strike when her son was about your son's age. Make the room dark and quiet, keep the baby close to you in a sling or wrap. Consider that you son may be sick and it hurts to lay on that side or at all. You can breastfeed in different positions that may help. Did he get vaccinated recently? That could affect it. Any changes like deodorant, soap, laundry detergent, perfume? I breastfed 3 of mine until they were 4 or 5 years old. Don't give up. It was so worth it, and even moreso when they were stressed and needed to calm down during those toddler years.