What works for me-When the student is ready

I am a big believer of the adage, "When the student is ready, the teacher will come."

Throughout my adult life I have seen this at work with my health. About 15 years ago I was very sick, at death's door, with the pregnancy of my 6th child. A new family moved in up the street. She owned an Herbs For Health store. She taught me a lot of things about my body and healing it and keeping it well. And I did great for awhile. I stopped eating sugar and started to feel better.

The problem arose when I didn't replace that sugar. I didn't know how, what, and all that stuff. This was when the internet was still in its infancy and there was not a lot out there for me to learn from that didn't cost oodles of money- something I had none of. Most of the things I made to feed my family were nasty and no one would eat. Slowly, sugar made its way back into our diet until we were right back where we started.

As the pain with the arthritis started getting to the point that I started to feel old, I was assigned a new visiting teacher. Another health food store owner. She taught me a bit more about herbs and reminded of some things that I had forgotten. And I vowed again to stop the sugar insanity in my home. But this time I knew it had to be different, I had to find how to not only give up, but replace as well.

I had no idea what to do exactly. I studies, searched, read, googled, talked to others and started doing some small things- no candy bars from the vending machines, no pop, started eating wheat bread. One day my son's girlfriend saw the wheat grass I had in the refrigerator and asked why there was grass in there. My son replied, "Oh mom is on one of her 'health' kicks again." That was when I knew this time had to be for real. So I added prayer to my searching and talking.

About this time I changed schools. I was not able to have my own office because the high school was doing some construction and remodeling, so I shared an office with the attendance secretaries. One of them was big on herbs for healing, and eating healthy. We talked. A lot.

One day this secretary brought in a cook book that she had found at her chiropractor's office. She was looking for something to help her daughter with a particular health problem. As she told me about it, I became more and more interested. She let me look at it. I went home and ordered two- one for me and one for my mom.

When the books came, I sat down and read through it. A couple of times. It was an answer to my prayers. I started cooking from that book, vowing that if my kids wouldn't eat the food then I was done with trying to be healthy. My kids not only loved the food, they asked for me to make it again and again.

A couple of months later, the secretary brought in another book. One that was out of print, but had even more information and yummy recipes. I scoured the internet until I found one. But not only that, I found new books by this author. I ordered 2 of them. My daughter in law's father was diagnosed with diabetes and she came to me asking for help in teaching him how to eat sugar free. I loaned her one of these new books. 6 weeks later he had lost almost 20 lbs! I gave him the book and ordered me a new one plust 2 others. The kids love these recipes as well.

Another couple of months go by and I start reading Dr. Stan Gardner in Meridian. When he offered a free subscription to his Sweet Freedom from Sugar class I joined. I also signed up for his monthly program. Last week the cook book that comes with the program arrived. Again, love the food.

I took the teachers that were sent to me and I studied and I learned and I implimented. And reaped the benifits of eating healthier.

I am going to post the links to the books in the order that I talked about them. Next week I will tell you how I rid my body and my house of sugar. It was not an easy process and we are not totally sugar free, but I would say probably 95% sugar free.

Links:
The Feel Good Cookbook, Whole foods and Allergy Free Recipes
by Jonell West Francis

Healthy Healing by Linda Page Ph.D., Traditional Naturopath
(her main website) (sometimes her books are cheaper on Amazon, where I got mine)

Dr. Stan Gardner

Sweet Freedom from Sugar

At Tiffany's Table by Tiffany Perez

Tomorrow I will post one of the recipes from Tiffany's table.