Chocolate Almond Butter Cheesecake

Just because Josh is on the Advanced Cellular Healing Diet by Dr. Pompa doesn't mean that he can't enjoy my birthday "cake" like the rest of our family!  I love finding ways to experiment in the kitchen to create palate-pleasing foods that are healthy and within the strict diet specifications for Josh.

That being said, I had fun making my own birthday "cake" satisfying the peanut butter and chocolate craving I've been having while ensuring to keep the "cake" gluten and grain-free as well as sugar-free.  Don't let that scare you off!  It is possible to accomplish that and still have the finished product taste good and have people fighting for seconds!  Try this cheesecake recipe out for yourself and let me know how loved the cheesecake was by those who guiltlessly indulged!

Chocolate Almond Butter Cheesecake
Serving size: 8 large or 16 small pieces

Ingredients
Crust:

• 3 TBSP organic butter
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (cocoa powder would work but cacao is healthier)
• 3 TBSP xylitol (powder in food processor for finer grain texture)
• 1 Large egg, lightly beaten (grass-fed, free range eggs are healthiest!)
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup walnuts (chop in food processor)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:

• 8 oz. organic cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup creamy almond butter
• 1/2 cup cream (I used raw, grass fed cream; if you can't get that, organic whipping cream will work or whip up the cream on the top of a refrigerated can of coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup xylitol (powder in food processor for finer grain texture)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of green stevia leaf powder (optional for increased sweetness)

Chocolate Topping:

• 5 TBSP organic butter
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 TBSP xylitol (powder in food processor for finer grain texture)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/8 tsp green stevia leaf powder
• 1 TBSP extra virgin coconut oil

Directions

1. Prepare 8.5-9" spring form pan by greasing bottom and sides thinly with extra virgin coconut oil or grapeseed oil to help keep crust from sticking.  Set aside.  
2. Crust: Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat.  Stir in cacao and xylitol then slowly whisk in beaten egg.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens (1 min or less).  Remove from heat.  Stir in almond flour, walnuts, and vanilla.  Press crust evenly into bottom and sides of pan and freeze for about 20 minutes (can refrigerate instead if waiting for an hour or more for next step).
3. Filling:  Beat cream cheese and almond butter together until smooth.  Beat in cream.  Beat in xylitol and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Add stevia powder, if using.  Spread filling over crust and smooth top.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm (at least 2 hours in fridge).
4. Chocolate Topping: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter, unsweetened chocolate, xylitol, and stevia powder together.  Add vanilla and cacao powder and stir until smooth.  If too thick, add coconut oil mixing until melted.  Spread over filling and refrigerate again until firm (30min - 1 hour).

Enjoy this guiltless, low carb, gluten and grain-free, sugar-free cheesecake!  Keep leftovers refrigerated (if there are any! :-) ).

Note:I adapted this recipe I found from Carolyn at All Day I Dream About Food: http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/05/chocolate-peanut-butter-mousse-tarts-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html.

The Battle with Weight

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I am on the skinny side when it comes to weight.  I always have been and if anything, it's always been a struggle to keep weight on.  When we started our cellular healing diet as a family to help us be more healthy and help Josh thrive better, I was a bit concerned about the potential weight loss due to the healing ability of the diet that promotes toxic weight loss (toxins are stored in body fat) that naturally occurs with a healing/detox diet.  I was already slightly underweight to begin with.  I was told by the nutritionist guiding us through the diet that while I would love toxic weight, my body would find a happy place and stop shedding the pounds.

Well, unfortunately, we started the diet at the end of March, and Tim had the whole ordeal with his appendix at the end of April right after we started the heavy detox part of the diet.  Needless to say, I wasn't monitoring my weight, I was simply trying to care for Tim and keep the household functioning.  As a result, by mid-May, when I finally got around to stepping on a scale after noticing that none of my clothes fit me anymore, I was shocked to find that I had lost 14% of my body weight in less than 2 months!

I panicked and reached out to a friend who is a dietitian who was able to put me in touch with a friend of hers locally that has a practice.  She has been my weight coach ever since.  She was very concerned about the weight loss and the danger zone my body was in.  Not only had I lost 14% of my body weight so quickly, but I was less than 2 percentage points away from my body using my essential fats to survive.  My cycle had shut down, and I was losing hair by the handfuls.  I was weak and lethargic.  I was a mess.  I had to see my primary doctor for a full blood work-up to see if damage had already been done to my organs.  Thankfully, everything checked out fine.  I've been on a 2250 Calories a day diet since and had to add grains back into my diet.  I am still sticking to a very healthy and organic diet, so I have to eat a ton of food to reach my calorie goals because fruit and vegetables and healthy meats just don't have the high calorie content as junk food does. Sadly, the weight gain progress has been painfully slow since embarking on this journey!

I haven't spoken about the situation much with people because I'm sick of getting the whole "You are so lucky!  I'd love to have your problem instead of my battle to lose weight" comments.  While I don't know what it's like to struggle to lose weight, I know the struggle of maintaining healthy weight.  Let me just say for the record, the struggle to maintain a healthy weight, whether it's losing or gaining is NOT fun by any means!  It's a daily battle!  I have come to despise eating because I constantly need to be monitoring what I'm eating and how many calories I'm consuming and whether or not I am getting in the recommended amounts of each food group daily.  It's such a drudgery!  I want to eat food again just for the enjoyment of eating!

Thankfully, my cycle has since reset, and while I am still losing hair, it's not by the handfuls anymore.  I have much more energy and feel a lot more like my usual self.  My weight gain goal set by the dietitian was 1.5-2 lbs a week, but unfortunately, since starting with her in May, I have only gained 4 pounds.  Having a stomach bug 2 weeks ago in which I lost 4 pounds in 1 day didn't help matters.  I gained 3 of the pounds back by the time I saw my dietitian last week, so now my total weight gain since starting with her has been 3 pounds.  I can't help but be discouraged, but I'm going to keep on keeping on until I can get my body into a healthier place.

I am still under the care of my family physician who has been concerned about my ability to regain the weight.  When I see her next on October 5, she will be ordering some tests at the request of my dietitian who is now concerned that I may have an absorption issue.  Also, on the rare occasions when I indulge in a food that contains gluten, I get really bloated and struggle with abdominal cramping.  There is concern that I am now gluten intolerant or sensitive, so I will be tested for that as well.  Even though I've always consumed a lot of gluten-containing foods in the past (I am Italian after all!), apparently the few months hiatus I gave my body was enough for it to detest any trace of gluten.  I also may get my metabolism tested.  There is concern that it's way too high adding to my issues and inability to gain weight.

Having to deal with this has been hard because I don't have time to worry about myself with all that's been going on in our family.  It's been a drudgery and constant source of discouragement.  It's also been a lonely, isolating battle.  I was encouraged the past few weeks when I've met two other people who understand my struggle, so it helps to know I'm not alone.

God is in control, and while His timetable may not be my timetable, I am learning to trust and be patient in even these uncomfortable circumstances.  Each day is a gift, and I need to use it to its fullest by God's grace!

The Day We Never Thought We'd See

God continues to do amazing things in our family.  He continues to bring healing in areas we never thought possible!  We are forever grateful for His amazing handiwork in our lives and for the incredible answers to prayer we continue to see that are above and beyond all we could ask or think.

Three weeks ago on August 29, 2016, we saw the day that we never thought we would see.  I still feel as if I am living in a dream and that soon, I am going to wake up and discover it was just a dream!

As you know, Joshua, our oldest son who just turned 12 this past Sunday, has Autism along with Bipolar, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD.  The gloomy future predicted by the many doctors and specialists Josh has seen throughout the years was daunting and frightening.  They had warned us about the scary years of puberty where Josh would be in and out of the psychiatric hospital and needing constant medication adjustments due to the raging hormones.  We were told we would see a reprieve once Josh reached his 20's, and his hormones stabilized.  Being under the care of a psychiatrist would be a lifelong necessity as medications would always need to be monitored and tweaked as time went on.

As I wrote in my annual Autism Awareness blog post in April, things have drastically changed for Josh due to our journey in natural solutions over the past now 2.5 years.  In addition, the healing diet we as a family have been doing since the Spring with the intent to help Josh has also been instrumental.  Beneath the surface of these solutions, God was orchestrating all of the events - giving me the drive to fight for my son, leading me to the right people and the right information, giving us the means to put the natural solutions to the test and finding success with them, etc.  This was God's capable hands at work in an incredible way in Josh's life as well as in our family's lives.

Before making the wellness journey into the wonderful world of natural solutions, Josh was taking 10 pills a day (7 different drugs) to manage all of his medical and psychiatric needs.  With the help of natural solutions, Josh experienced increased remarkable medical and psychiatric stability which led to a 2+ year journey of weaning off of medications.  It has been an exciting journey watching him transform before our eyes as drugs left his system revealing wonderful personality traits we didn't know existed.  On June 8, 2016, Josh took his last dose of Risperdal, a drug crucial for managing his moods of bipolar and the last drug of which he weaned.  We were told by several doctors that he would never be able to go without a mood stabilizer.  In the midst of puberty and raging hormones, at the time predicted to be the worst time of Josh's life and craziest emotional roller coaster ride, he stopped taking his most crucial drug and since has been THRIVING and has been more stable than he ever has been since developing Bipolar!  How is that for a miracle?  We are still praising God for that incredible answer to prayer!

Josh saw his psychiatrist for a follow-up to being off of Risperdal on August 29, 2016.  She was amazed at how well he was doing and thrilled for his success.  She looked at him and said, "Well, Josh, you don't have to come back and see me again."  I almost fell out of my seat, and Josh was just as shocked as he said, "What did you just say?" She repeated herself, and Josh clarified, "You mean for a long time?"  She answered, "No, never unless you need me again sometime later down the road.  You are doing so well that you don't need my services anymore.  There is nothing that I can do for you that you aren't already doing for yourself."  I thought I was going to need to be pulled down from the ceiling because I was flying so high.  I never dreamed I would see the day when Josh would not need to see a psychiatrist regularly.  She and the psychologist have also been mentioning dropping some of Josh's diagnoses because of the lack of symptoms.  More time still needs to transpire before the diagnoses can officially be dropped, but we are getting close.  It's been over a year since Josh experienced a cycle with his bipolar.  His anxiety completely disappeared after he weaned off of his anxiety drug in December 2015.  His Autism has become so highly functional that if he were to be diagnosed today, according to his psychiatrist, he would not qualify for an Autism diagnosis but would instead receive a social delay disorder diagnosis.

My heart continues to soar as I see my son happy, thriving, and better than I had ever dreamed.  We have lived to see the day we never thought we'd see, and it only keeps getting better.  Josh moved into the Middle School in August as a big 7th grader.  Knowing the changes of middle school from elementary school and given the fact that he would have a whole new team of teachers and support staff, I was really anxious about his transition.  This kid continues to amaze me and transitioned so well, you wouldn't have thought it was a new experience or a new team.

God is the Great Physician, and we have certainly experienced His healing hands in Josh's life.  We are forever grateful for His great mercy and grace to Josh and our family, and we eagerly look forward to the future plans God has in store for our precious son.

Autism Awareness Month 2016

As Autism Awareness Month comes to an end, I am finally having a moment to write my yearly Autism Awareness post. 

In the Autism world, it is so easy to be consumed by hoplessness.  It's an overwhelming diagnosis with life-long implications.  As the years ticked by after Josh's Autism diagnosis at 4 years of age, things only looked gloomier and more hopeless as more and more diagnoses were tagged on and more problems ensued.  By his second psychiatric hospitalization at 8 years of age and the warning by the doctor that it most certainly would not be his last hospitalization and things would get really rough once puberty hit requiring constant medication dosing adjustments to compensate for fluctuating hormone production, we were left with worries about the future and realization that we would need to start planning for his adulthood and his needing care and supervision for the rest of his life.  I stopped dreaming that someday he would be able to get married recognizing that it was just too impossible.

Fast forward 3 years, and our hopes for the future have drastically changed.  Instead of doom and gloom and the impossibility of independence as an adult, we see a bright future, and I have begun praying that God would raise up a godly spouse for him one day.

What has changed? EVERYTHING!  This metamorphosis began when we started using essential oils over 2 years ago then incorporated natural supplements all while getting rid of typical personal care and household products that are toxic switching to natural stuff I make with natural ingredients to keep us safe and healthy.  Then began a greater scrutiny about the food we used and the process of eliminating processed stuff and switching to more organic choices.

With each change we made in our daily habits and choices, we saw more and more changes for the better.  The two-year transformation began with instability and a threat of a third hospitalization due to the 10 drugs a day he was currently taking not enough to keep him stable.  Fast forward two years, and Josh is only taking 1 drug a day that he has been slowly weaning off of over the past 2 years and will be fully weaned off of by the middle of June according to his doctor's wean plan.  With each drug he weaned off of, he became happier, more compliant, and more stable.  We have been discovering more and more aspects to his personality that had been locked inside him unknown to us.

The medical world has things all backwards when it comes to Autism.  They treat symptoms with drugs that often make the person have a flat affect and zero personality.  While some behavior therapy recommendations are made and can be effective in helping a child cope in our world, progress is painfully slow.  What is often overlooked and neglected is the availability and success of natural things and diet.  God created all things for our benefit and good, and mankind has done a lot to taint it or ruin it altogether.  We need to get back to the way God created things!

This year, I began a new learning journey into the world of healthy diets and was blown away by what studies are out there regarding the implications of a leaky gut and the benefits of cutting out inflammatory foods from the diet.  While this information is helpful to every human who wants to be healthy, it has HUGE implications for people with Autism.  After reading the literature available, I decided to take the plunge and eliminate gluten from Josh's diet (I had already eliminated artificial dyes and flavors a year prior to that).  Surprisingly, he went from a jittery, fidgety, easily irritated kid to a calm and collected child who hardly gets irritated.  After letting him have gluten for one meal around the Easter holiday and having a difficult next 1.5 days of increased irritability and hyperactivity, he reset and went back to his new norm.  That was enough to convince us of the importance to avoid gluten for good.

In March, we embarked on a journey as a family beginning the Cellular Healing Diet by Dr. Pompa.  It is a pretty involved diet that heals the leaky gut, helps the body rid itself of toxins, decreases inflammation, and improves cellular health.  We believe this is the final key for helping Josh fully recover of his Autism and other issues.  From the changes we have already seen since starting the diet, we are getting more and more confident of the end results.

There is hope!  Don't ever let anyone or any doctor convince you otherwise.  Never give up fighting!  Don't accept a doom and gloom prognosis.  There is always room to improve and excel.  Don't discount God's power to do the impossible!  Josh's prognosis seemed dismal and improvement seemed so impossible, but God is greater and more powerful!  He has directed us to the right people and the right resources, and with the change to natural solutions and healthy diet, Josh is on the road to full recovery!  God is amazing!

Psalm 147:11 - "but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love."

Results to be Excited About

We have been concerned about Josh's triglyceride levels ever since we had to put him on a mood stabilizer back in 2012.  Within months of starting the medication, Josh's triglyceride levels increased.  At the same time, we were concerned for his LDL and HDL cholesterol levels.  Because of the harmful side effects of these kinds of drugs, we've had to get Josh's Lipid Panel checked about every 6 months to keep a close eye on his levels.  In January 2014, we went into crisis mode because Josh's triglyceride levels skyrocketed to 517, a level that is extremely dangerous for adults not to mention children.  Josh was immediately referred to a cardiologist to make sure his heart wasn't already suffering.  Not only he could have damaged his heart, but he was at risk for pancreatitis and other complications.

At the recommendation of the cardiologist, we started using flax in various meals and desserts to help lower the triglyceride levels.  The cardiologist also recommended that we switch from whole wheat bread to whole grain brain (Did you know that whole wheat bread is broken down in the body just like white bread?  The best kind of bread to consume is whole grain bread if you don't want fast sugars in your body) We also started Josh on a fish oil supplement and tried to get him to do intentional exercise a few times a week.  A re-test in April showed good improvement with the triglycerides in the sense that the severe cardiac and other organ risks were lowered, but his levels were still too high.  We were told that most likely, Josh's low HDL levels (the good cholesterol which help to keep LDL, the bad cholesterol, down) were a genetic issue even though both Tim and I have HDL levels in normal limits.  We were told it most likely will never improve.

In March, we began using essential oils to help Josh with his mood instability.  We had such great results that his psychiatrist started decreasing his mood stabilizer medication.  He went from 1.5 mg daily and did a 0.25 mg decrease at a time over several months until he leveled out at 0.5 mg daily this past Fall.

In August, Josh had a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic he was put on for Lyme's Disease, and his body went into a heightened period of hives.  Taking his fish oil supplement each morning caused him to break out in hives, so we had to stop the fish oil.

In the middle of December, I started Josh on a trio pack of natural supplements (3 all-natural, bio-available supplements including a multi-vitamin, essential oil and omega supplement, and a cellular restorative supplement) with the hopes of helping his body be healthier, help with his Autism symptoms, and help with his triglycerides.  We saw a huge improvement in his Autism symptoms pretty much right away, but only time would tell if the supplements were helping with his triglycerides.  Due to the timing of Josh's follow up with his cardiologist, we just got his blood drawn last week.  I got the results on Friday and nearly cried out of pure joy!  Josh's triglyceride levels dropped by 200 points!  His HDL also increased by 10 points, and while still below normal, it's so close to being in normal range!

I am so excited about the incredible test results that I just have to share with the world - well at least my friends who read my blog!  Moral of this story - don't ever give up or let what a doctor says keep you from trying.  God is greater than modern medicine, and as I've found out through the natural supplements and essential oils, God's creation is powerfully beneficial for our bodies and health!  These supplements and essential oils don't cure or treat in any way, but they support our bodies to do what God created our bodies to do - Heal and repair itself!

I created a table to make it easy to see the progression of Josh's Lipid Panel results this past year.

If you think I am making this up, look at a few of his test results for yourself!

If you would like to know more about these supplements we have been using for Josh as well as the rest of our family, contact me!

Do You Want a Wellness Revolution?

In light of the fact that World Health is celebrated annually during the month of April, I have joined the efforts of the American Recall Center to spread awareness of medication education and help educate people so that they can make informed medical decisions as they work with their doctors in honor of World Health Day.

As a Registered Nurse, I have seen many adverse side effects from drugs, even those that were properly prescribed.  I have worked with patients who were on drugs to help control the side effects of other drugs.  As a patient, I have had multiple allergic reactions to drugs, so my allergy drug list is quite extensive.    As a mother, I have experienced the pain and frustration of dealing with drug reactions or harmful side effects of drugs as well as vaccines for my two special needs children.  I am not anti-drugs.  If I were, I would need to stop being a nurse.  I am, however, a huge advocate of people making informed medical decisions after doing thorough research on their own before starting a new drug or receiving a vaccine.  The pro’s and con’s need to be weighed thoroughly to make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.  In addition, I am a huge advocate of using natural means to promote a healthy lifestyle to support current disease and illnesses and preventing others from developing.  That is why I became a Wellness Advocate so that I can educate others to take control of their health.

In nursing school, I learned about the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising.  In practice, I am not seeing much of that being carried out nor proper education from doctors about this issue.  America is more about treating disease and illness rather than preventing it.  Doctors are quick to prescribe medications rather than help the person change their health habits.  In addition, it is becoming harder and harder to eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in nutrients because so much of the food available to us is either processed, thus losing its nutritional value, or has been genetically modified causing digestive issues, allergies, and decreased nutritional value.  Fresh foods are contaminated with pesticides, and meats are injected with steroids and antibiotics.  Our bodies are being filled with additional toxins that lead to disease and illness.  Also, in a technological era where we hide behind our smart phones and computers, we are not getting the exercise our bodies need or sun and fresh air to be healthy.  America needs a wellness revolution where we change the way we treat disease and start preventing it.

For me and my family, we have been on our own wellness revolution over this past year plus.

1. We eat organic and locally grown foods as much as possible making sure we are balanced in our fruit, vegetable, protein, grain, and fat intake.
2. We exercise as regularly as possible.  We really enjoy going on family walks or hikes together to not just exercise but strengthen our relationships with each other.
3. We take all-natural and whole food vitamin, nutrient, and omega 3 supplements that were made based on scientific research for what our bodies need.  These supplements are bio-available which means they are already broken down so that the body doesn't have to waste time and energy breaking them down, and the body can use it in its entirety.  These supplements have given us increased energy and stamina, helped us stay healthy and fight germs, and increased our ability to focus and function because our bodies are getting the nutrients needed to function optimally.  For more information, click here and here.
4. We take a pro-biotic that was ingeniously made to give us the maximum probiotic amount with a pre-biotic formula present to keep the probiotics from dying off.  In addition, they are a capsule within a capsule so that they get to the small intestine where they are needed the most.  Having a healthy gut is so important for disease prevention.  For more information, click here.
5. We use Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential oils to support our health and bodies.  Extracted from plants grown in their natural environment and protected from pesticides and contaminants, we use the immune system of the plant to help our bodies be well.  Nature produces it, we use it, and our bodies are able to function and heal themselves.  Because it’s completely natural, we don’t have to worry about harmful side effects.
6. We keep up with our routine wellness visits with our doctors to make sure we are staying on top of our health and addressing issues that may come up as soon as possible.  If a problem arises, and we can’t address it naturally, we will go to the doctor for recommendations but do thorough research before making a final decision regarding the doctor’s recommendations.  If the benefits outweigh the costs, and all alternatives have been considered, we then will take a recommended drug.

This is something that everyone can do for themselves and their families.  It’s time for YOU to make a wellness revolution.  Be empowered and take control of your health.  Start with yourself and your family then join me in educating others to improve health around the world!

If you would like my assistance in starting your wellness revolution or if you would like to get the all-natural supplements and probiotics or essential oils, contact me at cmr1120@gmail.com or 610-286-6777.  When contacting me, use the phrase "Wellness Revolution" to get a free wellness consult.