Since it’s on my mind right now and it’s definitely that season (or at least, it’s getting to be for those in colder places), I thought I would share some of the ways that I have put my garden together quite cheaply!

I didn’t have much of a budget for gardening this summer, and I knew that buying all of my seeds would take up the bulk of it, so I had to get creative with the rest. I was workng with a good sized plot (12 x 28 ft), that was fairly overgrown, with no raised beds and the soil was clay-ish and not very rich.

As you can see, my garden is not gorgeous (it’s a little rough around the edges, literally!). It’s not going to win any awards. It’s certainly not as lovely as the perfect square foot gardens on the cover of my well worn book. But, it works and I am eagerly anticipating a bountiful harvest (leaving room for much human error, of course!). Even in all of it’s simple practicality rustic charm it is a peaceful haven for me on lovely spring days, and I cannot wait to spend more time in it this summer.

I probably spent about $50 on seeds, plus another $7 on strawberry plants and $2 on onion sets. This is a lot, but it is because I bought all heirloom seeds, many of which are organic (which wasn’t as important to me as heirloom, non-GMO seeds). I hadn’t gardened last year, so I had to start from scratch, and next year will be much cheaper as I will already have many of my seeds.

The rest of what I spent was just on a few peat starter pots (about $4 I think?), and two bags of starter soil ($3 each), plus two bags of topsoil ($3 each) and a bag of manure (also $3), and then $13 on tools and $10 on gloves, bringing me to a grand total of $101.00. Considering how much produce we will get out of all that, and the fact that we will still have the tools, many seeds and the strawberry plants next year, I’m happy with what I spent. I know that it could have been much more!

Here are some of the ways that I kept costs low for establishing my garden this year:

1. I found free composted horse manure from a local farm that I found on Craigslist in the free section (forget that I went to pick it up on a rainy day, by myself with both kids, and I had foolishly worn sandals, and it was disgusting- but other than that it was great, LOL!)
2. We built garden borders (for raised beds) out of scrap wood we got for free. It doesn’t look perfect or as pretty as I’d like, but it sure was cheap, and it’s functional. We held the wood in place using old tent poles- you could use proper pieces of wood or long nails instead, but the poles work for us, for this year anyways.
3. I did a bunch of calling around to find the best deal before I rented my roto-tiller and discovered that at one place (Home Depot) Tues-Thurs were half price until June, if I rented for a half day (4 hours).
4. I had no garden tools this year (last time I gardened was at a community garden, and they had a shed full of shared tools), so I looked around on Craigslist and even asked on Freecycle. From that, I came up with some tools for $5 a piece, which is pretty good, but didn’t end up getting those. Then I went to a garage sale and got 3 of the tools I needed for $1 each! That’s my kind of price!
5. I suppose it’s getting a bit late in the season for this tip, but consider it for next year. I know that I saved so much money by starting my own seeds, rather than buying the plants already started. It cost more up front this year to purchase my seeds, but I have so many seeds left over for next year of most things (tomatoes, pepper, squash, herbs, etc.) that it will be even more cost efficient next year. It doesn’t take that much work, and I just viewed it as a science activity with my daughter. She loves watering her “plants” and it’s fun to point out how they’re growing.
6. Making my own compost will pay off shortly. I’ve been working on it for a couple of months now, and it’s not quite there, but as the weather heats up more, it will go faster. I can’t make as much as I need for this summer (hence the horse manure), but next summer I will be ready with more that I’ve made throughout the year.
7. To continue to keep costs low, I am going to seek our more free sources of compost and manure to keep feeding my garden, as well as making some of my own. I will need some posts and wire to make a trellis for my vertical plants to climb, as well as supports for my tomatoes, but I will keep my eye’s out on Craigslist and Freecycle for anythign useful, as well as garage sales.

And, here are a few more great, frugal ideas for your garden that I found today!

Get coffee grinds for free from Starbucks! I did this a week ago, and wasn’t exactly sure what to do with them, except that I’ve often seen big bags of them offered with the sign “Grounds for your Garden”. Here’s a link that I found today with some interesting testimonials and ideas for using the grinds.

Grow potatoes in a garbage can! I had heard about this a while ago, and it’s been on the back burner of my mind ever since. Today I decided to google it, and found these instructions. It sounds so simple, and anyone can do it, even if you don’t have a real garden or yard! I have an extra garbage can without a lid that I have no other purpose for, so I’m thinking it’s about to become a potato garden

Do you have any good gardening tips (frugal or otherwise)? Please share!!!

Part of Frugal Fridays hosted by Biblical Womanhood.

I’ve noticed that sometimes I get so busy writing about other stuff that I forget to be a real person and share about our lives as well! We’ve had some wonderful blessings this past week and I thought I would take a few moments to share them with you…

My kefir grains arrived! A very sweet blog reader, Shirley, was kind enough to send me a package of kefir grains, something I had been wanting to get for a long time. I used to have some, a couple of years back, but I did something wrong and they stopped working, and I just haven’t been able to find any since (I can get the powdered packets, but I really wanted the live grains).

Well, they arrived and I had my first batch of kefir this morning, which I promptly made into a delicious blueberry kefir smoothie!

Here is Abbie thoroughly enjoying hers.

You’ll also notice a flat of eggs in the picture, sitting on the counter. That’s another blessing, and it came along with an even bigger blessing! About a week and a half ago new tenants moved into the downstairs suite, replacing a very difficult tenant who we had to ask to have removed. This is a young couple from our church with their first baby, and we are really enjoying getting to know them! Her parents also happen to own an organic egg farm in a nearby town, and so she has offered to bring me free organic eggs (they’re the ones that weren’t quite perfect enough to be sold, but they’re absolutely perfect in my mind)!

Here are a couple pictures from a fun event on Saturday, taking family pictures with my visiting family (my Mom and Step-Dad from up North, and my brother and sister-in-law from out East). These are pictures that I took, but I’ll post up some of the really nice ones when I get them from the photographer.

Yet another blessing… as I type this, a new-to-us set of large oak wall units will be arriving, a very thoughtful hand-me-down from a family at church. The husband is a very talented builder, and made these himself over 20 years ago, but they still look fantastic and are exactly what we needed.

On Mother’s Day, we were actually out shopping around for a shelving unit to house our kids toys and such, as the family/school room is just being overrun with clutter and driving me insane. We just didn’t feel 100% right about buying the ones that we liked while we were there, and when I went to check out these units that were being offered to us the very next day, I knew exactly why we didn’t have peace about the other shelves. These units are exactly what we needed!

Here they are! Aren’t they gorgeous?

And a final blessing, that came about shortly after I posted last week on resting in the deep love of Jesus. When I wrote that post, my husband was about to meet with his boss, for what I (and he) thought might be a meeting that would bring difficult news. The company he works for is having some struggles, and while not nearly as bad as in the US, our economy has some challenges of it’s own.

When he called me back a little while later, he told me that I should sit down and I prepared my heart for the worst. Turns out, the company was indeed letting several people go… and he was not among them. In fact, he was being offered a very exciting promotion, and a raise! What?!?!?!

We spent most of the weekend saying, “Can you believe it?” and “It doesn’t feel real, does it?”. For reasons I can’t get in to on my blog, this promotion was a very real answer to prayer and a most surprising and unexpected way for God to meet our needs. How kind of God to so graciously answer our prayers and in such an unbelievably timely way!

Very. blessed. indeed.

For those who missed the intro to this new series on Baby Steps towards natural and healthy living, why don’t you read it here?

As I mentioned last time, I sincerely believe that taking small but purposeful steps towards better nutrition and more natural living is the best way to really make the transition, and to allow the changes to “stick” and become long-term, lifestyle changes. This is the way that it has worked for me, and I am so excited to get started on this series and offer some suggestions for those of you who really want to move forward in this direction. Thanks for joining me!

Just before I get going with this week’s step, let me quickly explain the way that the basic format for this will work.I am trying to keep these posts relatively short (most will be much shorter than this one) for the simple reason that I want this to be manageable for you. Quick to read, simple to implement, allowing you to achieve success easily!

Each time, I will briefly explain what the baby step is, and why it matters. I will offer some simple suggestions for how you might go about doing it, and sometimes I will offer both a beginner’s level as well as a more advanced level for those who are ready for that. I will also provide any reading resources (both online as well as books to buy or check out of your local library), and any online resources (recipes, photos, etc.) that I feel would be valuable to you as well.

From time to time I will also let you know that a Mr. Linky carnival is coming up, because for certain challenges I want to allow you the chance to share with us the changes that you’re making! I will try to let you know a week in advance whenever possible, so that you can plan to do the challenge and post it up to share with all of us– I hope that this will offer more encouragement, inspiration and ideas for the rest of us!

So let’s get started…

This week’s baby step is: Choose one grain recipe that incorporates the soaking (or the two-stage) method and make it sometime within the next week (if you’re really eager, you can choose two recipes)!

Why this step is important: Whole grains (ie. those that still have the bran and germ intact, such as whole wheat) contain anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, which can actually block the absorption of minerals, and can interfere with proper digestion of grains. However, properly prepared grains neutralize phytic acid and other enzyme inhibitors, making whole grains again digestible and a very good source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein and other nutrients. In order to do this, grains and/or whole grain flour must be soaked for 12-24 hours in an acidic medium (yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, whey, vinegar, etc.) before being used.

How to get started with it: I will provide more reading resources below, as I think that it is really important for you to grasp why this step is so necessary. It would be so helpful to you if you could read at least one or two of the links as a starting place, and ultimately, to purchase a book like Nourishing Traditions with much more in-depth teaching than I can provide you with.

However, in order to keep this simple, I have chosen a good selection of soaking recipes that are online, for you to pick and choose from. All you need to do is look through them, and pick the one that appeals to you the most. It may help to motivate you further by choosing the one that sounds the tastiest or would go over the best with your family (so, if your husband just adores pancakes, choose those; if you really love muffins, you might want to give those a try). Remember, you want this to be positive and successful!

Reading resources:

Books

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

Whole Grain Baking- Sue Gregg

Articles/Blog Posts

Be Kind to your Grains

Nourishing Practices- Soaking Grains

Soaking Grains Part 2

Online resources:

Here’s the list of recipes to choose from- surely everyone can find something tasty sounding from this list!

Cornbread

Raspberry Poppyseed Muffins

Spiced Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Homemade Pizza Crust

Homemade Crackers

Blender Batter Coffee Cake

Blender Batter Pancakes/Waffles

Whole Wheat Bread

Spelt Biscuits

Cinnamon Scones

Oatmeal

I’d love to hear what you choose, and how it goes! If you know of some other great soaking recipes online, please let me know!

A quick question for you all (because I know you’re such a resourceful bunch!)…

My SIL and I have decided to bite the bullet and start buying some Klean Kanteen bottles that I’ve been mentioning, as we’ve been wanting to for quite some time, but the cost is just somewhat prohibitive.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to where we can find the best deal? They’re tough to find in Canada (I already searched out local retailers and didn’t come up with much), so looks like we’ll be ordering online. The problem is finding ones that are in stock (because we want several different sizes/styles), for decent prices, and with not-ridiculous shipping costs (US shipping is ok for us). Somewhere that gives you free shipping when you buy a certain $ amount would be even better!

Any ideas???

If you missed the first two posts in this series, you can find them here: Part 1 and Part 2. (And I do apologize for the picture size- I am just learning to use my new camera and photoshop program, as well as learn to work with how Wordpress uses photos. If you click on them, you will see the larger image.)

Today I will give you a look into my cupboards and fridge to show you what my family actually uses. Although we actually take fairly few supplements, here is the low down on what we do use. I rooted through my kitchen yesterday to take pictures to show you a good sampling of what we have around here, and I’ve tried (without making this post exceedingly long) to explain what we use them for/ why we choose them, etc.

My three top supplements, for me personally (not necessarily my whole family).

Cod Liver Oil- to ensure that we are getting sufficient Omega 3 fatty acids, of which fish oils are possible the best source. CLO also contains high levels of Vitamins D and A, fat-soluble vitamins that are often deficient in our diets. Vitamin D is particularly important in the winter or if you live in a place with limited sunshine for much or part of the year. There is more and more research being done that is showing that Vitamin D is an absolutely essential nutrient, and may be important in cancer prevention.

My children and I take CLO almost daily (except when I forget), and I am in the process of convincing my husband that it doesn’t taste all that bad (the one I buy is emulsified with a mint flavor, so it’s really quite easy to take, in my opinion). I will probably switch us over to a different kind of fish oil (like salmon) now that summer is coming soon, as I don’t want to risk having our Vitamin D levels too high when we are playing out in the sun much more often.

Floradix Liquid Iron- This is one that only I take, and only in particular seasons when I need it. I used a couple bottles of it during my last pregnancy, and am going to get another bottle this week as my Naturopath recently tested my iron and found it to be on the low side, probably as a result of giving birth and nursing this past year. This is the best iron supplement I have ever taken and everyone I know who has tried it raves about it. It is a bit pricey, but worth every penny if you are truly low on iron. You will feel it’s effects in a few days usually! Although it is possible to get iron through food sources, many women just do not eat enough iron-rich foods to keep their levels high enough during their child-bearing years, which is why supplementation is useful.

Liquid Calcium and Magnesium- Again, this is one that only I take, and simply because child-bearing and nursing takes so much calcium out of you that it is important to stay on top of it during these young years, rather than when I am older and it is already too late. I don’t take this all the time, but like to buy it when I’m able to (however, raw milk, fish bones as in canned salmon, greens and bone broth are great ways to naturally boost calcium!).

Green supplements (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this one!)- . Our family has taken many different kinds such as Chlorophyl, Spirulina, Barley Green, Wheat Grass, Greens Plus, etc. We don’t do it all the time, but it’s nice to get extra greens in when we can. Most of us don’t eat as many greens as we should, and greens help our bodies to detoxify which is so important these days. However, there are also many great way to get actual greens in us (in addition to just salads, you can add them in casseroles, in smoothies, etc.) which is far better if we can do it that way– cheaper, too!

Here are a few of the supplements that we have used at particular times, for short seasons such as my recent Candida cleanse and for helping to heal my son’s eczema.

From left to right, L-Glutamine (helps to heal up the gut, minimizing food sensitivities that are caused by things like Candida), a homeopathic remedy for my Caden’s eczema, an anti-Candida supplement my husband used (it is very difficult to properly deal with Candida without the use of supplements, but that’s an entirely other topic for another day), and the Ness flora balance is an enzyme/pro-biotic supplement for Caden as well, reducing the effects of the Candida he received through me.

Pro-Biotics- (Sorry, no pictures of this as there’s none in my house right now) We have all, at some point or another, used a pro-biotic such as acidophilus or ultra-bifidus in order to promote healthy gut bacteria. This is really helpful when dealing with Candida yeast issues, and also crucial if you have taken any anti-biotics (which we avoid like the plague!). Yogurt, kefir and other fermented dairy products certainly help by providing us with good bacteria, but the quantity of bacteria in yogurt simply cannot compare to the amount in a pro-biotic supplement, which is so helpful when you are dealing with something like Candida, or boosting your system if you have had to take an anti-biotic.

As well, my husband also took untold amounts of supplements during his cancer treatments, in our attempts to boost his immune system, up his antioxidants, combat effects of the chemo drugs, and just to give him more energy and increase his bodies ability to fight in general. This was specifically helpful because the chemo affected his appetite and his taste buds, which severely affected his ability to eat good foods.

We also use supplements when we are ill or fighting a cold or flu bug, to speed up our recovery and to avoid having to use conventional medications. These would include Vitamin C, zinc, Oil of Oregano, Colloidal Silver, homeopathics, etc.

And just for fun, a picture of some cheapie, pretty-much-worthless supplements left hanging around in our cupboard, that need to just be thrown out. The Now brand minerals actually aren’t too bad, but in general, multi formulas are just not well digested and assimilated, and I didn’t feel any real difference when I used these to help boost my calcium/magnesium sometime last year. I’m sticking to my liquid!

This is a new purchase, just last week from my co-op, Azure. It is raw cow’s milk colostrum. Just as human mother’s milk is absolutely full of crucial healthy bacteria and immune boosting qualities in the early days, so is the milk that a mother cow gives to her calves. People have used it as an immune booster all over the world, and it is starting to grow in acceptance and popularity. We purchased some fresh from our local cow share this winter to help boost my husband’s immunity from the chemotherapy.

When I saw this in the catalog at Azure, I just had to try it! It is watered down, more to the consistency of milk and can be drank just like milk. My only complaint is that because it’s frozen, it’s just not the same as it would be fresh, texture-wise. It’s great in smoothies, though and just a nice way to give us all a little boost once in a while! I love this because it’s really just a whole food, that happens to have some great health-boosting properties!

I think I also mentioned that we occasionally use homeopathics. This really blurry picture (sorry!) is an example of that. These are natural, dissolving teething tablets that really work to take the edge off of baby’s teething, without resorting to pain-relieving drugs. I try to use these as much as possible in place of Motrin, etc.

We have also used homeopathic tablets (more like small pellets, that dissolve under your tongue) for a recent fever that Caden had (he wouldn’t nurse for nearly a day, so we really needed to break the fever), and they also worked like a charm for taking the edge off of my nausea during my last pregnancy! These are not things that we would use daily, but you can see how they are a useful addition and can help us maintain our health and even our sanity comfort without having to resort to conventional medication.

You might be looking at all of these pictures thinking, “She spends a fortune on supplements!”

The fact is, this past year has brought a lot of health challenges for us. First, my husband’s cancer and chemotherapy (which completely depleted his nutrient stores and immune function), and for me, giving birth, nursing, and dealing with Candida issues, and then the effects of the Candida on my nursing baby and his subsequent food sensitivities and eczema issues. As well, the stress has resulted in just a general level of fatigue and lower immunity for my husband and I, so we have needed to be more free in our willingness to purchase what we needed to get back better health.

In general, we would not normally even have so many supplements around nor would we spend so much on them. We might have some superfoods (ie. green foods, colostrum) and fish oil, and maybe the odd other thing, plus some natural products that we use for medicinal purposes (homeopathics, oil of oregano), and that would be it.

For me the bottom line is that I try to keep it as minimal as possible, but I am also no longer opposed to the use of supplements now that I see their purposefulness.I truly believe that you can primarily improve your health through diet (the removal of negative foods, and the addition of positive, healthful foods).I also believe that supplements can be a useful tool to add to the efficacy of what we are already doing.

I am not in favor of a heavy reliance on them, and I do believe that many supplement companies are unfortunately promoting their products as a bit of a panacea, in an effort to sell us more that we don’t truly need. It can be difficult to see through the hype and tell the difference, but I highly recommend that you do as much of your own research as possible and don’t allow these companies to tell you what they think you absolutely must have.

I’d love to hear your views on supplements and which ones you or your family uses!

After a busy weekend with my extended family on Saturday and then our little family on Sunday (Happy Mother’s Day to you all!), I decided that a fairly simple week of cooking was in order.

Notice I’m also posting this after 8am, as I nurse my little one (who had his first decent sleep in two weeks), and while my daughter sleeps in (much, much needed rest for her). I myself slept til 7:30, except for getting up just before 6 to feed the baby once. We’ve all had too many late nights, and after a full weekend, a good night’s rest was in order. Ryan and I actually made it to bed by 10:00 sharp last night, which was exactly what we needed (and a rare event these days as we’ve been busy and gotten into the bad habit of staying up too late)!

So here’s this week’s simple and unadventurous menu and a favorite recipe below:

Monday: Clean-out-the-fridge leftover meal with a hearty salad.

Tuesday: Polynesian Chicken Dinner (from the The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook) over brown rice

Wednesday: Salmon (filets baked with lemon juice, butter and dill), quinoa (served like rice) and steamed broccoli

Thursday: Cream of Tomato Soup (using homemade broth, butter, honey as substitutes), salad and bread

Friday: Meatloaf (Nourishing Traditions), Dijon Scalloped Potatoes (recipe below), asparagus.

Saturday: South of the Border Pie with taco toppings (ie. chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream)

Sunday: Spiced Chicken legs (NT), Papas Choreadas (using sweet potatoes)

Dijon Scalloped Potatoes (from How It All Vegan!)

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water (I use chicken broth often)
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 cups soy milk (I don’t use or recommend soy- I use organic cow’s milk)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Bragg’s or soy sauce
• 3-6 stalks green onions, chopped
• 6 medium potatoes, sliced into coins

1) Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium saucepan, saute the onions and turmeric in oil on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent.

2) Mix in the flour, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until mixture is dry.

3) Slowly stir in all remaining ingredients. Stir until well mixed and there are no flour lumps. Set aside.

4) Start laying sliced potatoes in a lightly oiled 9 x 13 baking pan or casserole dish. Do a layer of potatoes, then a layer of sauce, and repeat until finished.

5) Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings. We also enjoy it with cheese sprinkled on top and melted in the last few minutes of cooking!

Thanks for hosting, Organizing Junkie!

Come, all you who are weary… you with messy houses and cranky children and piles of laundry and dark circles under your eyes and overwhelming obligations and painful circumstances…

I’m feeling it this week. The stress of just a few too many things on my plate, little sleep or quality time with my husband, and too many anxious thoughts running through my mind.

I have had the gracious reminder that in the midst of feeling as though we’re going under, or that we’re failing miserably… He is there to uphold us, sustain us, comfort us, defend us, and soothe us with His deep, deep love.

My husband came home from a worship team meeting this Sunday night and played for me a new song that has ministered peace to my restless spirit this week. Listen and drink deeply of His love.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free

Rolling as a mighty ocean

In its fullness over me

Underneath me, all around me

Is the current of Your love

Leading onward, leading homeward

To Your glorious rest above

Oh the deep, deep love

All I need and trust

Is the deep, deep love of Jesus

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Spread His praise from shore to shore

How He came to pay our ransom

Through the saving cross He bore

How He watches o’er His loved ones

Those He died to make His own

How for them He’s interceding

Pleading now before the throne

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Far surpassing all the rest

It’s an ocean full of blessing

In the midst of every test

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Mighty Savior, precious Friend

You will bring us home to glory

Where Your love will never end

Original words by Samuel Trevor Francis (1834–1925) Music, chorus, and alternate words by Bob Kauflin

(Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the entire song online, but this gives you a taste of it. Just click on the song 04 “Oh the Deep, Deep Love” to listen– it is a beautiful rendition of the old hymn. You can buy either the individual mp3 or the entire CD, Come Worthy Saints, here.)

Happy Friday morning, all!

This morning, I am honored to have my very first guest post up over at The Nourishing Gourmet, one of my absolute favorite cooking blogs! I’ve posted as part of a series called “My Favorite Dinner”, telling you about and giving the recipes to make (you guessed it), my favorite dinner.

Truth be told, I enjoy food to much to have any one favorite meal, but I do certainly love the healthy chili and cornbread I posted about. Go check it out and explore Kimi’s wonderful blog while you’re at it, which is just full of delicious, Nourishing Traditions styled recipes, as well as teaching on nutrition, meal planning, dietary restrictions and more!

And with that, I’m off to the zoo with a friend and our kids, to enjoy the sunshine!

If you missed the first post in this series, click here to go ahead and read Part 1 first.

I think that the name “supplements” actually says it all when it comes to their actual usefulness. They are exactly what they say that they are– a great way to supplement our diet. Not to make up for a bad diet, or for the fact that we don’t feel like eating green veggies or consuming good sources of calcium! But instead, a way to help us out when we are struggling to get sufficient amounts of a particular nutrient, or dealing with a challenging illness, or simply wanting to support our bodies in a greater way.

One issue that came up in the comments that I want to address is that of supplements not being absorbed and used by our body, but basically just running through us and coming out in our waste. The fact is, that is often true. There are many cheap supplements out there that are simply not well digested and absorbed (for example, most of the ones sold in regular grocery stores and pharmacies, and especially most multi-vitamins).

The most important factor (in my opinion) in a supplement is whether it is a high quality supplement, preferable coming from a whole food source, as opposed to synthetically created or separated vitamins and minerals. Most nutrients work in our bodies synergistically with the other foods that God wisely combined them with in their natural forms. Basically, this means that Vitamin C or calcium or whatever it is that you’re taking will work better when it comes as a whole package, rather than a singled out nutrient.

As well, the particular form of a nutrient matters, too. Vitamin D3 is a more usable form than D2, but most cheaper supplements contain D2. Iron can come from many different sources (eg. ferrous fumarate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, etc.), with varying levels of absorbability and usefulness for our bodies, and there are many other nutrients that are similar.

This is why my first preference is to get my nutrients from whole foods, rather than relying on a supplement. Nutrients are generally most absorbable in their naturally occurring state. However, as I’ve stated, there are reasons why I feel supplements are useful tools (lack of nutrients in today’s soil and food, particular seasons when we are needing more of something particular, etc.), and therefore it is worth knowing how to find high quality ones.

Another aspect that will affect how well a supplement works is whether your body can digest it or not. For many, pills are difficult to digest (and often, difficult to swallow- personally, I get nauseas from pills and really struggle with horse pills), and liquids can be an easier form of getting it down and making sure that more of it actually gets in you.

There is debate between liquid and pill form supplements, with the claim that liquid supplements are almost entirely absorbed, whereas pills are barely absorbed at all. The info out there is a bit difficult to decipher, and there are a lot of exaggerations being made, in my opinion. But personally, I do prefer liquids and find them especially effective, however, there are also some good supplements out there in pill form, though they are generally not the cheapo ones you find on the drugstore shelves.

When I am choosing a supplement, I usually select only liquid, high-quality ones that may cost more, but are more valuable than buying a larger amount of cheaper ones. For instance, when I need iron, I suppose I could buy several bottles of the pills for the cost of one bottle of the liquid I prefer, but the fact is that my body just doesn’t do well with the pills– I feel sick to my stomach, I get constipated (I know, too much information, but it’s true), and I just don’t absorb it or feel much of a difference. On the other hand, one small bottle of Floradix Liquid Iron (my personal favorite) and my body handles it well, none of the ill side effects, and I start to feel it’s positive effects within mere days.

In my next (and final) post on this subject, I will discuss some of the supplements that our family uses, some tips for finding good supplements and let you know some of the particular brands that I like as well!

If I could pick one theme that seems to be recurring on my blog, throughout the comments and the wonderful emails I receive, it is that so many women really, truly want to make changes for the better in their lifestyle. They want to eat more nutritiously, make more of their food from scratch, manage their budget more carefully, use more natural products in their home, tread more lightly on the earth, and bring glory to God through greater stewardship of what they have been given. The dilemma seems to be in knowing where to start, how to do it, and how not to get overwhelmed in the process.

For those who haven’t heard much of my journey into this realm of natural living and nutrition, let me share it in a nutshell. In my childhood, I was always an incredibly picky eater, and was permitted to eat a lot of things that were less than the best for me (I even worked at McDonald’s for 2 1/2 years- enough said). By my young adult years, I was not healthy.

I had some extra weight, my digestion was awful (I would have been diagnosed with IBS and lactose intolerance, most likely), I was often tired, very addicted to caffeine and sugar, and I ate a lot of white carbs, processed foods, and very little fresh fruits or vegetables. I might have continued on like this for some period of time, except that God intervened in an unexpected way.

In my senior year of university, I went for six months without having my cycle. Realizing this was a bit strange, I went to a doctor who referred me to a specialist, who proceeded to give me the bleak diagnosis of Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). At the tender age of 21, I was told that I was most likely infertile (probably one of the most devastating things she could have told me), and would need medication my entire life to regulate my cycle and help to stave off conditions such as diabetes and uterine cancer.

For the first time in my life, I reacted by refusing to accept what this doctor told me and began to research what I could do to prevent these outcomes. I went to an on-campus nurse, who photocopied a few chapters on nutrition from some books on women’s health, and thus began my journey. It was elementary, to say the least. I was reading with great interest about the fact that my body needed certain amounts of a wide range of nutrients– fiber, vitamins, minerals, even water… who knew food had a more specific purpose than filling me up and providing taste bud enjoyment?

And so, the past 5 (almost 6) years began with that humble step towards being educated and informed about my body and it’s needs. As eager to learn as I was, the road was slow and painful at times. It took a year to break my addiction to pop, slurpee’s and flavored Tim Horton’s coffee (I still struggle with coffee a little bit, my last remaining comfort food). My diet slowly evolved past Lipton Side Noodles, white-flour quesadillas, and canned soup. I began to introduce new vegetables and fruits, just one or two at a time. I started drinking more water. I started to read the ingredients on packages. And I kept reading (oh, did I read)…

I remember when I was in those early years of my journey, I often felt so discouraged and exhausted by it all. I wanted so badly to put everything that I was learning into practice, but it was all so new and there were only so many hours in a day. I didn’t want to be consumed by it. Nor did I want to (or even have the ability to) blow a lot of money to just buy everything from the health food store (and I came to realize that that wasn’t even the point- not even close!).

Sometimes I would talk with my mother-in-law about it, and express how I wanted to do so much more than I was doing, but I didn’t know how to make the full transition. Her response was such a positive one- she reminded me that I could not possibly do it all at once. It is a process, and it takes time. Each step in the right direction is a victory and is one step further ahead than where I was before.

One of the things that I love about Fly Lady (this seems like a major topic change, but it really isn’t, so stay with me!), is that she starts you out with baby steps. Here is a great quote from her site:

Keep in mind that your home did not get this way overnight and it is not going to get clean in a day. We are going to teach you how to take BabySteps and establish little routines for getting rid of your clutter and maintaining your home. This system will work for anyone; it doesn’t matter if you work outside of your home, stay home with children, retired or work at home. You can do this, you have just needed someone to pat you on the back and give you a great big hug to get you started.

Here is my own little twist on her concept:

You did not get to the place you are at nutritionally or otherwise in a day, and you will not suddenly learn to cook nutritionally, shop frugally, and live more naturally and sustainably overnight. I am going to teach you how to take baby steps, and slowly implement small, positive and manageable changes into your cooking, meal planning, shopping, cleaning, beauty routines, thinking, and day to day living. This can and will work for you- in fact, this is the only way to really do it without becoming overwhelmed in the process. You can do this, all you need is a little encouragment and direction, and some reminders of why you are doing this at all!

Introducing “Baby Steps towards more natural, healthy living“.

Once a week, I will be posting one simple change that you can make in your family’s diet, in the way that you cook, a shopping tip, a way to be greener, or an area where you can make a change for the healthier. It will always be practical, and will offer a brief explanation of the research, thought or information behind what I am suggesting.

Ultimately, this series will help me to flesh out some of the topics I have planned for my upcoming ebook. I hope to “publish” it in July, and the book will include one suggestion per week, for 52 weeks, to help you move towards better nutrition and more natural, sustainable living one baby step at a time.

Why am I doing this? Because I believe that anybody can make small, simple, positive changes towards a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their family. I believe that it honors and glorifies God when we honor the bodies He has blessed us with, the earth that He has given us dominion over, and the resources He has given us to steward.

Would anyone like to join me in this journey?