Monday, March 31, 2014

Caution: Drinks may cause instantaneous HAPPINESS

ORGANIC
PURIFIED
VEGAN
LOW CALORIE.
GLUTEN FREE.
LACTOSE FREE.
DAIRY FREE.
NON-GMO
PROBIOTICS
 ALKALINE.
CARBONATION.
REVERSE OSMOSIS
 APPLE CIDER VINEGAR.
COCONUT WATER.
The list goes on. 
I'm talking about KeVita drinks. 
I'm ADDICTED.
I'm OBSESSED.
I'm IN LOVE
 
You know the saying, "you had me at hello?". 
WELL, KeVita, you had me at "sparkling". 
  Does your diet need some breathing room?
Do bubbly drinks make you giggle?
Are "good bugs" your superheroes?
Is your body craving a pH makeover?
Are you tired of dreadful drinking-water drenched in chlorine & chemicals?
Do you need a new morning "pick-me-up"?
Try. KeVita.
Make PEACE with your gut.
✌☮
I pinky-promise you that if you start drinking one of these magical drinks every morning/afternoon/evening, 
YOUR BODY WILL GLOW.
 If you aren't busy right now, go to your local grocery store, preferably Whole Foods (that's where I found these gems!). 
If you're reading this post & you have a case of the "Mondays", then definitely buy a KeVita.
A better day with KeVita? 
CHECK!!!!! ✔ 

~LOTS AND LOTS of ❤, allie~

Monday, March 24, 2014

Happy 3rd Birthday, Souper Douper SCDer!!

I KNOW this to be true:
I'm in school.
I have a job.
I know exactly what direction my life is going in. 
I am a SCDer & I run a support page on Facebook for others following the diet around the world. 
I take Epsom salt baths every week. 
I have learned the dos & don'ts of my gut. ;) 
I think of bubbly water as a sweet treat/dessert.
I think of chicken soup as my secret to lifelong happiness. 
Zucchini pasta is my FAVORITE Italian-ish dish. 
I know how to use cauliflower to make a to-die-for pizza crust!!! 
Banana pancakes are a fun, SCD-friendly dessert in my house that everyone enjoys!!
I promote the power of SIMPLICITY when it comes to food. 
I'm on a quest to KILL AS MANY BUGS as I possibly can. 
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get through this Chronic Lyme treatment. 
My world is bright, sunny, & exploding with daily giggles. 
The thought of "giving up" is now a foreign language to me. 
I'm OK with growing up as an adult with two full-time jobs: achieving/then maintaining wellness AND working with animals. :) 
It's been a rather bumpy ride but I wouldn't want it to have unfolded any other way.
I've become more comfortable with the new life I've been forced to live. 
I find peace in calming music or a salt bath. 
I think of my new friends as my favorite form of medicine. 
I don't go looking for a red EXIT sign anymore. 
I have no need for Harry Potter's invisibility cloak anymore. 
I found myself & never want to go missing ever again. 
I wasn't able to say any of these things three years ago.
Everything about my life has changed for the better since I first launched this blog. 
I don't know ALL the answers & I'm not an expert on how to treat Chronic Lyme/autoimmune diseases BUT I've learned how to face these medical monsters with determination & a stubborn will to succeed. 
I started this blog to help others achieve wellness & as it turns out (prepare yourself for some ULTIMATE cheesiness), it has helped ME achieve wellness, too.
I never thought treatment for chronic diseases could come in the form of an Internet diary with followers from all over the globe. 
I'm so incredibly grateful for what this blog has done for me from the times it helped me cease the tears, to the times it listened when I was only able to get out a teeny tiny whisper. 
While this blog was my only companion for a good chunk of the last three years, it has helped me find the strength to gain some real friends. 
Real face-to-face friends I can be my REAL self with (even if those face-to-face moments are via Skype!). 
The people I've learned to let into my life are my treasures & I will forever cherish their healing presence.
Where will the blog go from here?
I don't know exactly. 
I'd just like to keep it by my side & see what happens. 
When something is going right, whatever you do, DON'T change it. 
This is working. 
This is helping me heal.
SO, I'll leave it at that & keep doing what I'm doing. 
;) 
To all of you who have been a part of this wildly colorful, sometimes rough, often bumpy, very emotional, possibly ugly, incredibly muddy, extremely beautiful journey, 
thank you. 
I would not have made it this far without you. 
Lots & lots of endless love, 
Allie

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

VACATION in a cup

BANANA.ALMOND MILK.IMAGINATION.
BAM!!!!!!
BANANA MILKSHAKE.
Vacation in a cup. 
I'm telling you...
Two ingredients.
Does it get any simpler than that?
Here's how to make Homemade Almond Milk. 

~Soak ONE cup of almonds (*preferably organic*) with TWO cups of water (the best quality if you can) for 1 to 2 days, changing the water halfway through
~After the almonds have taken their extra-long water bath, drain & rinse
~Add NEW water to the ONE cup of almonds
~Pour the new almonds & water mixture into a POWERFUL blender
~Pulverize the stuff!! (I use a Bullet)
~Take the blended mixture & strain it through a cheese cloth to squeeze out the milk
~Keep the milk in the fridge for ONLY a couple of days or else it'll go sour! 
~Now you have leftover almond "pulp" you can either use to bake cookies or maybe even as a coating for a SCD "fried chicken". Who knows!! There's no harm in experimenting. :D

FOR THE MILKSHAKE?
(that's the picture tantalizing you at the top of this post; I know you're going out to buy organic almonds tomorrow...SCD MILKSHAKES ARE IN YOUR FUTURE)
~Add some very ripe frozen banana chunks to your almond milk & toss that in your blender.
You're going to the islands for dessert tonight. 


***Here's a video on Youtube in case you want a visual of how to make "Homemade almond milk"***

LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE, 
Allie