May 26, 2024

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Lesson Four

Your petition was heard in court in the last lesson.  Remember, it is a binding legal contract.  The enemy knows it and will begin to assault you immediately.  And he has. 

It’s been a few days now for me, and already I have had to ask for forgiveness for not stretching everyday.  I have poor excuses, which are meaningless because I promised God I would do it.  Also, Satan has tempted me every single day with sugar.  My granddaughter started to play baseball this year, and she hit her first ball in a game, and she decided that an ice cream from Dairy Queen was in order.  We jump in the truck and get an ice cream, everyone but me, I just paid for it all.  Another day, my boss hands me a yogurt parfait, and walks away smiling.  I didn’t say a word about fasting from sugar, just placed the parfait in my lunch kit and brought it home.   

Being off sugar doesn’t bother me, as I have fasted from it before.  God teaches in His Word, don’t let anything own you but Me.  Right now, it is Sunday morning, and yesterday, I forgot my phone at work.  I used Messenger to send a text message to my boss, through a co-worker who is on holidays across the country to let her know I forgot my phone, so if she needed to text me, she would have to go through my co-worker.  My boss offered to drive back to work to get me my phone, and I said, “I am okay, Monday is coming.”  I own a cell phone; it doesn’t own me.

That is what fasting is.  Fasting teaches the flesh that it is under the authority of the spirit.  I do what my obedient heart wants not my flesh.  Paul teaches in Romans 7:16 – 18, “And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (NIV)

You cannot be wise without knowledge.  Knowledge is the foundation that wisdom builds on.

Sugar

(facts and recipes)

Whether or not you used sugar to fast with in your petition or not, it is something we all consume way too much of.  It is hidden in so many things and comes under the name of more than just ‘sugar’.  This is a lengthy article, but take the time to read it through, even if it takes a few days to digest it all.

GOAL:  For the duration of forty days, I will not consume refined sugar, which includes white, brown, and icing sugar.  (This is what I wrote in my petition; followed by 40 days of fasting from other types of sugar, such as maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, etc.)

I have worked in the healthcare industry and have learnt that there are averages and majority, but no absolutes.  No one reacts the same to medications, treatments, or diets, in the same way.  I believe the key to health is balance.  I have seen what happens to the body when it doesn’t get enough salt and what happens to the body when it is overloaded with toxins.   The best advice I can give has been given already, follow the advice of Holy Spirit, as He leads you.

During the second 40 days, I have chosen to exclude non-high fructose corn syrup, raw honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar.  I do not consume monk fruit/Erythritol or sweeteners like Splenda. 

Dark Corn Syrup – 2 TBSP (30ml) 120 calories  Carbs 31g  Sugar 11g

Honey – 1 TBSP   60 calories  Carbs 17g

Maple Syrup – 1 TBSP  52 calories  Carbs 13g  (recipes: maplefromcanada.com)

Coconut Sugar – 4 tsp. (16g)  60 calories  Carbs 16g

• 1 tsp (4g)  15 calories  Carbs 4g

Molasses – 1 TBSP  58 calories  Carbs 15g

Monk Fruit & Erythritol – You can buy it at Costco (Lakanto) – zero Calories and Carbs

There are many other sweeteners, but these are ones I have and know.  STAY AWAY FROM MAN MADE SWEETENERS SUCH AS ASPARTAME.  SACCHARIN IS MANUFACTURED FROM PETROLEUM.    Stevia is a natural sweetener, however, unless mixed with another sweetener, I dislike it.

There have been studies on Erythritol, that have shown ill effects, however this is a natural product, like cane sugar or beet sugar. Over consumption of any food is not healthy.   Erythritol is linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death from a February 28, 2023, article by Sandee LaMotte, for CNN. Caution for those with high blood pressure, coronary disease and diabetes, and men over 60. 

I searched both Dr. Don Colbert* and Dr. Caroline Leaf to see if they have responded but found nothing as yet.  (They are my, go to Christian doctors.)

Simple things of note:

• Corn Syrup is pure glucose.
• Suggested that women eat no more than 100 calories and men 150 calories per day of sugar.

One tablespoon of sugar has about 15 grams of carbohydrate, and 60 calories.

A 355 ml can of Coca-Cola has 10 teaspoons of sugar (39 grams) That’s 160 calories of sugar alone.

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one slice of commercially prepared white bread has 1.4 grams of sugar.  (About 5 calories)

A medium double double contains 14 grams of sugar (3.5 teaspoons) plus four grams of sugar from cream. A large double double contains 24 grams of sugar (six teaspoons) plus more sugar from the milk or cream. (Tim Hortons Coffee) 

Be aware that in order for baked goods to rise, yeast needs sugar to feed on.  Like most things there are camps on all sides.  Give yourself grace and eat the store-bought bread but choose your bread wisely.  As with many store-bought foods, check for chemicals and preservatives, and amount of sugar in the bread.   Or buy a bread maker and know what is in your bread.

Be aware there is sugar in ketchup, soup, salad dressings, many dips, barbeque sauce, it has been found in baby food, crackers, canned foods, potato chips, etc.

I have been on restricted diets for Candida, Leaky Gut, (more information below) and have been on the Mediterranean diet, the Keto diet, and others, and that is not what God asked of me.  He said, stop eating refined sugar for 40 days.  

I also want to say this too:  THERE IS NO PERFECT DIET FOR EVERYONE.  The keto diet is great for some and bad for others.  If you have a friend that has chosen a raw diet, and it is working for them, that is wonderful, don’t try pushing your diet that works for you onto them.   If your friend has diabetes and eats a box of cookies every night, warn them once, and let it go. 

Because I have been on very restricted diets, I don’t find myself stressed at all about this process.   I can tell you, the first time I went to the grocery store, over 15 years ago, to shop for the first time, for my gluten intolerance, it was depressing.   I battled demons the whole way around the grocery store.  My cart was full of food, and I didn’t starve.  I depended on God to show me food I could eat.  I also spent a lot of time researching, testing recipes, and designing my own flour mixture.  It never bothered me to watch someone eat fresh homemade buns made with wheat flour and seeing the melted butter run down their chins.  To this day, it doesn’t bother me at all. 

There is no secret to how to do this.  Prayer is the weapon.  God asks us to renew our minds and take authority over our bodies.  Our spirit is over our soul (mind, will and emotions) and body.  Our soul is also over our body.  When a sugar craving hits, we command our body to stop.  Our body must yield.  Use Jesus’s name, that is where the authority is.

We need to train our bodies to agree with the Word.  And train our taste buds to desire less sugar.  And train our brains, to agree with less sugar.  If you cut back just refined sugar, don’t load up on honey and/or monkfruit.  You will have withdrawals from sugar if you are dependent upon it.  You might suffer in your body, with such things as severe headaches, muscle aches, cramps and/or restless sleeping.  These are times you must command your body to stop and get under the authority of your soul and spirit and keep your focus on Jesus.

***

If you are looking for a book to read: “Think & Eat yourself SMART,” by Dr. Caroline Leaf.  She has a website called DrLeaf.com. 

Dr. Don Colbert has been studying nutrition and its impact on the human body for decades.  Like Dr. Leaf, he has an impressive list of published books and website.  Dr. Colbert has tackled many diets, and written books on them, and you can learn about them by watching his teachings on YouTube and his website.

***

Some helpful tips and tricks

Coffee:  ½ teaspoon coconut sugar (9 calories) or ¼ teaspoon monkfruit and 1 teaspoon coconut milk (mostly just the top solid part; so, don’t shake the can – 11 Calories and 0.2 grams of sugar.)  If you need to work your way down from say, 1 teaspoon sugar, do so, but don’t let your taste buds dictate to you, you tell your taste buds to accept less, and they will.)

My sugar cravings hit after supper.  So, I have been eating one “Morning Glory Muffin,” and a piece of fruit.   Eating fruit right after a meal will help with blood sugar spikes.   Eat whole fruits.  (Yes, I know about GI and carbs…this is about refined sugar fasting.)

I practice intermittent fasting most mornings, which means, I do not normally eat after 7 to 8 PM, depending on my arrival home from work, and do not eat again until 12 to 1 PM.   If I choose to eat something in the morning, my usual is Old-fashioned Oat Meal, 2/3 cup water, a touch of salt, and 1/3 cup oatmeal.  I mix in a couple teaspoons of natural peanut butter or some other nut butter.   I also love, Oat Bran, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup Oat Bran and salt.  I don’t recommend toast and honey, or pancakes with maple syrup, that is sugar mixed with sugar.  An egg with bacon or ham is a good option. 

Morning Glory Muffins

I am notorious for altering recipes, and this one I simplified the original, by using pre-ground oat flour.  The original recipe called for grinding up 1 ½ cups rolled oats and mixing everything in a high- speed blender.  I also added some options.

1 cup & 1 TBSP oat flour

3 TBSP ground flaxseed or 1 tsp xanthan gum (both work well)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

3 large eggs

¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

6 TBSP almond butter, or butter (.38 cup)

¼ cup honey or molasses

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrots

½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tins with parchment cups. 

Mix in small bowl, oats, flaxseed (xanthan gum), cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In large bowl mix with beater, eggs, applesauce, almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract.   Add dry ingredients and mix only until blended.

Stir in carrots, raisins, and nuts.

Fill each cup with a ¼ cup of batter, makes 12 muffins.  Bake for 18 – 20 minutes.    Allow to cool in muffin tin 10 minutes and remove to wire rack.

Store at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze.

Lemon-Maple Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash (2 ½ pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded

¼ cup water

¼ cup maple syrup

1 TBSP butter, melted

1 TBSP lemon juice

½ tsp grated lemon peel

Place squash cut side down in an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Add water.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes or until tender.  Scoop out the squash and place in a mixing bowl, add the syrup, butter, lemon juice and peel; beat until smooth.  Makes 4 servings.

¾ cup – 186 calories

Posted on the Victory Campaign 2023 group (Facebook) under the file tab, is recipes for gluten free bread and flour mix, as well as many other recipes from different decades, including 1940’s recipes.  (I have yet to be disappointed in a Wartime recipe.)  Also click on the media tab for more recipes. 

The wartime site, just below, is filled with information and cookbooks for free.  There are so many low sugar cookie and cake recipes, ideas to reduce sugar and their dessert ideas… I admit, I have a growing collection of vintage cookbooks from the 30’s to the 70’s, and you can clearly see the sugar amounts multiplying as the decades progress.

https://wartimecanada.ca/categories/eating

Under the file tab on the Victory Campaign 2024 site, you can download the information page called, “Substitution options for margarine and shortening”.

Ideas for drinks and snacks

(Remember we are fasting from refined sugar, not mastering the whole diet plan.)

Grapefruit without sugar (as you develop a non-sweet tooth, you will start to enjoy this fruit.)

Hummus and vegetables

Nuts and seeds

Peanut or almond butter and celery, cucumber, apples

Sugar free salsa and chips (use a small bowl to hold your chips so you don’t eat the whole bag.)

Avocados

Plain yogurt, with fruit, uncooked rolled oats and cinnamon

If you bake cookies or a cake, watch your portion size.  It doesn’t take much to bring your sugar calorie level up to 100 or 150.  Remember honey, coconut sugar and molasses are still sugar.

Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season.  Remember you can preserve them in various ways. 

I live in the north and nothing much starts to produce until June/July.  That is why I garden and can, as well as freeze.

In Canada these are our basic, in season now fruits that we have to import: Avocado, Banana, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, Lemon, Lime, Oranges, Pineapple

Mix lemon water with mint and cucumber.  Store in pitcher in fridge.

True Lemon Brand

There are some drink mixes made with stevia, both liquid and powder.

Some tea companies make blends for cold water.

Try to stay away from 100% sugar free apple and orange juices.  Even though there is no sugar added, drinking the juice without the fiber is like drinking sugar. 

I encourage you to check out the link above and look at the recipes from the 1940s.  You will get lots of ideas for meals and snacks.

• An article written by Dr. Colbert about the effects of sugar on the body:  https://mycharisma.com/health-healing/dr-don-colbert-how-this-every-day-ingredient-is-killing-your-brain/

Sugar Challenge and Other Diets

 Low GI Diet vs Keto

The Low GI Diet and the Keto Diet are two of the most popular dietary strategies used today. Both focus on reducing your overall glycemic index, but they differ in how they achieve this. The Low GI Diet is a low-carb diet that emphasizes eating carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index to help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce hunger cravings. On the other hand, the Keto Diet is an ultra-low carb plan that puts your body into a state of ketosis where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates. The main difference between these two diets lies in their approach to carbohydrate consumption: while both emphasize limiting carbs, the Low GI Diet allows for more moderate amounts of higher-GI foods than does the Keto diet. This means that people who follow a Low GI Diet can still enjoy some grains such as whole wheat bread or oatmeal without having to drastically cut out all carbs like you would have to do on the Keto diet.

 Low GL Diet

A low GL diet is one that seeks to minimize blood sugar spikes by consuming foods with low GL values. This type of diet works by limiting the amount of quickly-digested carbohydrates that are consumed, while emphasizing the consumption of slow-digested carbohydrates. Slow-digested carbs take longer to process and therefore have less of an impact on blood sugar levels. https://glycemic-index.net/glycemic-index-chart/

God’s Diet

(There are many various God Diet models out there and many authors who write about their idea of it) You would think this would be an easy answer….but noooooooooo! Eat what God created, as close to how God created it, and enjoy. But people complicated even that. We have the Jewish law of eating, and we have the Christian way, which is basically, if God created it, we can eat it. Now remember, people for thousands of years, and just until recently didn’t have freezers or fridges. Food was eaten in a whole state, and in season. Each country was given food to their needs. I live in Northern Canada, where berries needed to be preserved, there is a short growing season, and during the winter months, you had meat. Snow comes usually in mid to late October and doesn’t leave until April. Honestly, I think if you eat like God intended for you to eat, that is the best diet plan ever. I do however, believe, because of high amounts of sugar, poisons, and chemicals in our food, we have done a lot of damage to our bodies so they do not function like they should, and that is why there are so many diets. We overeat. We lack exercise. And we live in extremes.

The Leaky Gut Diet

What is leaky gut syndrome? Leaky gut syndrome is a proposed condition caused by increased intestinal permeability. The digestive system consists of many organs that collectively break down food, absorb nutrients and water, and remove waste products. Your intestinal lining acts as a barrier between your gut and bloodstream to prevent potentially harmful substances from entering your body. Nutrient and water absorption mostly occurs in your intestines. Your intestines have tight junctions, or small gaps, that allow nutrients and water to pass into your bloodstream. How easily substances pass across the intestinal walls is known as intestinal permeability.  (More information below)

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leaky-gut-diet#what-it-is

The Raw Diet

The raw food diet, often called raw foodism or raw veganism, is composed of mostly or completely raw and unprocessed foods. A food is considered raw if it has never been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C). It should also not be refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides, or otherwise processed in any way. Instead, the diet allows several alternative preparation methods, such as juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/raw-food-diet#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

 The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods that people used to eat in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Spain, Greece, and Italy. The Mediterranean diet encourages a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#benefits

There are over 100 diets to choose from. Why do people get so confused? Eat this but not that. Bananas make you fat, no bananas are healthy and eat them. This causes cancer, no it helps kill cancer cells. Are you confused too? Have you walked down a supplement aisle or gone into a health food store lately? We need to eat, and we need to eat healthy foods, as close to original as possible. However, because we believe fast food tastes good and we just don’t have the time to cook from scratch or grow our own food and can’t afford organic food, we eat to kill ourselves. We are the temple of God. We need to care for our bodies. I still believe we need to balance ourselves with our eating. For some that balance is found in the Keto Diet and others in a GI Diet. I think that is why God asked me to fast from sugar for 40 days. To ask myself these important questions. Am I eating too much sugar? Am I eating enough whole foods? Am I overeating? Do I have a problem with portion size? What am I willing to give up to be healthy enough to live to the age God said we could, 120 years?

 Other things to consider… Am I taking my vitamins and supplements properly? Am I getting enough probiotics and pre-biotics in my diet? Am I drinking the right herbal teas? How does the ‘eat’ in God’s season of vegetables and fruits work? How does all this affect my garden planning? I rarely eat fast food from a restaurant, hardly buy fast food from the grocery store, try to buy as little as possible of boxed food, and yet I do. Do I buy the best I can get of these things? Can I do better? Am I just to lazy to cook and bake healthy? Am I just to lazy to read and research how to eat and grow my own food? Am I just to lazy to go find where to buy the ‘good’ food? Am I ignoring God’s voice and chasing after ‘death’? Am I eating to many carbs? Are my hormones out of balance? Am I getting enough healthy fat in my diet? Enough calcium? Am I eating for nutrition or emotional eating? Yes, this is how I ponder things.

No sugar at first will probably cause lack of energy, a fuzzy mind and you might feel your body revolting against the changes.  When I did this last year in March, 2023 “I had woke up in the morning before 4:30 AM and wondered into the kitchen to let the dogs out and I was faced with a sink full of dirty dishes. Last night, I came home from work, ate, and went to bed early, because my body was tired. The last few days, I haven’t had any sugar, meaning, what I said I could have, honey, molasses, coconut sugar, or non-high fructose corn syrup. I have been eating small portion sizes of grapes, grapefruit (white) and apples, and limiting those to one or two per day. I am taking my vitamins, remembering to take my Betaine HCL with every meal, (these are pills that add acid to your gut), and I have recently added Probiotics as well. What is happening to me is called die-off. If you want to get into all the technical terms and the medical jargon, look up sugar die-off or candida die-off.”

 Simply put, the Symptoms • cravings for sweet or high calorie foods. • headaches. • lack of energy. • muscle aches. • nausea. • bloating. • stomach cramps. • irritability or anxiety. are telling you that you have die-off happening. These symptoms are telling you that you are on the right track. What is happening is that the fungi and yeast are being destroyed and that you are detoxing. What is important now, is to get those toxins out of your system before your body reabsorbs them. Make sure you are eating fiber and drinking plenty of water. Also sweat. Encourage your body to sweat, and then shower to rinse off the toxins so they are not reabsorbed back into the body. There are liver detox supplements out there, if you can afford them, but be careful not to overdose yourself with supplements.

Here are some things you can do to ease the detox process. Molybdenum Supplements or eat legumes, cereal grains, leafy vegetables, beef liver, and milk. “Some of the best foods to eat at this time in order to keep clearing the body of excess candida and endotoxins are: • Apple cider vinegar • Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables • Green veggies and green drinks • Coconut oil • Manuka honey • Garlic • Ground chia and flaxseeds • Unsweetened cranberry juice • Cultured dairy • Spices like turmeric and cinnamon.

 Your meals should include lots of fresh, organic vegetables (ideally that have been steamed), but limit starchy vegetables for a period of time, like carrots, radishes, beets, sweet potatoes and white potatoes. You can also eat salads made with leafy greens or bitter greens topped with just a bit of coconut oil and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice).” (https://draxe.com/health/candida-die-off/)

Epsom salt baths can help as well. It will aid in cleaning your skin from the toxins being released through the skin. I DO NOT RECOMMEND GOING COLD TURKEY WITH EVERYTHING (meaning all sugar) UNLESS YOU ARE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A NATURAL PATHIC DOCTOR OR MEDICAL DOCTOR. WHEN I WAS FIRST Diagnosed WITH GLUTEN INTOLERANCE, MY INSIDES WHERE DAMAGED Severely. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS BUT WELL WORTH THE MONEY AND ENERGY. I understand that not everyone has hundreds of dollars per month to spend on supplements, doctor visits and organic foods. If you have coverage through work for visiting a natural pathic doctor, I highly recommend using it, even if it is ONLY to be tested for candida and leaky gut. • Start slowly, and just fast sugar, white, brown, and icing sugar. Take good vitamins, drink lots of water, and eat foods that support the liver. Grapefruit, red or purple grapes, blueberries and cranberries, olive oil, fatty fish, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and cauliflower, coffee (only one or two cups), and tea. I remember drinking tea over water way back then and still drink herbal tea to this day. Always try for organic teas: • Chamomile Tea • Peppermint Tea • Ginger and lemon tea • Turmeric Herbal Tea • Milk Thistle • Dandelion Root (I tried many times to handle the flavour of this tea but couldn’t do it. My doctor said, dandelion leaf was an alternative, but the root tea was best.) • Green Tea (If your stomach can handle it, drink it.) Drink lemon water as well.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver symptoms are fatigue, yellow eyes, and skin, severe itching, and spider-like blood vessels on the skin. What was God telling me on December 25th, 2022. For Christmas I received the book, “Fermenting Made Simple” by Emillie Parrish. Way back when I was first diagnosed with gluten intolerance, over 15 years ago, I bought an electric yoghurt maker and perfected coconut yoghurt. In one of my moves, I lost pieces to it. Last year, I bought a non electric yoghurt maker, and tried my coconut yoghurt recipe and it kinda worked. It went runny after a day in the fridge. That is the extent of my fermenting experiences. I had made pickled coleslaw last fall, and enjoy that, but I am not a pickle kinda of girl. And sour foods…well…although I love plain yoghurt…milk doesn’t like me much anymore. A couple days ago, I bought some canning jars, and didn’t notice the fermenting pickle pipes and glass weights in the jars until I got home. The next day, I bought some used 2 litre jars. Last night, I decided I would test the waters and make some fermented carrots, because that is what I have in the fridge.

 I found some gluten free sour dough starter recipes on YouTube, and may try them after my gut is healed.

Recipes

Oat Bran Muffins

½ cup oat flour or ¾ cup rolled oats (process until you have flour)

2 tbsp ground flaxseed or ¾ tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

3 large eggs

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, (or other milk)

6 tbsp almond butter (you can try butter)

¼ honey

2 tbsp molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ oat bran

½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained (I forgot to soak them and they went in dry. It worked.)

 *You can substitute 2 tbsp honey for molasses, but taste will be affected.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with parchment cups. Mix oat flour, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Beat together, all remaining ingredients, except for the oat bran and raisins. Add the flour mixture, until combined. Fold in bran and raisins. Spoon ¼ cup or so batter into cups. Bake 17 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Morning Millet with Apples

3 ½ quart slow cooker which is greased.

1 cup millet (or ½ cup millet, ½ cup Quinoa and ¼ cup Amaranth Grain) or (1/2 cup millet, ½ short-grain brown rice)

3 to 4 cups rice milk or water (3 ½ cups works for me)

3 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped.

¼ tsp salt

(I like to add ½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon)

You can add chopped pitted dates, fresh berries or toasted nuts) In prepared slow cooker stoneware, combine millet, milk, apples and salt. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours or overnight. Stir well, spoon into bowls and sprinkle with fruit and or nuts.

Single Serving Crock Pot Breakfast With a small crock pot – usually used for dips. 1/8 cup Quinoa 1/8 cup Millet 1/8 cup Steel Oats ¾ cup water Cinnamon to taste, frozen blueberries Let cook over night ¼ cup Steel Oats ¾ cups of water Cinnamon to taste, frozen fruit Let cook overnight.

 Basic Beans in Crock Pot

You may double or triple recipe. Works in slow cookers from 3 ½ to 6 quarts 1 cup dried white beans 3 cups water 1. LONG SOAK: In a bowl, combine beans and water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Beans are now ready for cooking. 2. QUICK SOAK: In a pot, combine beans and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Beans are now ready to cook. 3. COOKING: In slow cooker stoneware, combine 1 cup presoaked beans and 3 cups fresh cold water. You may season with garlic, bay leaves or favourite herbs tied together in a cheesecloth. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours or overnight or High for 5 to 6 hours, until tender. Drain and rinse. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze for 6 months. VARIATIONS: Substitute any dried bean (red kidney beans, pinto beans, white navy beans) chickpeas, or split yellow peas. Chickpeas take longer than other legumes to cook. They will take about 12 hours on low and 6 hours on high. I found that red kidney beans were done at 10 hours and turned to mush at 12 hours. White navy beans took 10 – 11 hours.

Dried lentils: Do not presoak them and reduce the cooking time to 6 hours on low.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRpSsVwmMjWF5COR9uMyb5wPoik00gYQ

Sugar, Candida, Leaky Gut and more

The petition I wrote and presented in court was never about loosing weight, but about gaining health, even though without any changes other than not eating refined sugar, I will probably loose some weight.

 Remember you cannot make a clear decision without knowledge, and wisdom is built on knowledge.

This is my research, and hopefully will help you wander through the maze of confusion out there about food, diet and how to heal your gut.  Being in the health care industry and seeing and listening to people suffering through things, I have learned a few very important things; no one pill, or therapy works for all people, many diseases act like another disease so it can be complicated to narrow down what is really wrong without trial and error, and that eating and exercise is not a guaranteed to extending your life, but can drastically improve it.  The biggest thing you can do for yourself, above all else mentioned is how you speak and what you believe.

First thing to do is thank God for His supply of your food and water and ask Him to remove any toxins in your food and water and to incorporate any missing nutrients that are supposed to be in that food.

Choose your foods wisely.  Even though organic is best, realize that they too are not 100% chemical free, nor are they as nutritious as God intended them to be.  Between the air, rain and airplanes spraying chemicals over nearby crops, food growing in an organic way, will contain toxins.  Washing your fruits and vegetables will help.

Remember that God created you and knows what your body needs.  I am not saying you can enjoy everything that God has created in todays world, because evil and greed has damaged His works; however, believe God to meet your needs and show you personally what is best for you.  I know there are diets out there for blood type, body type, maybe there is even a diet out there for hair colour too.  God will show you what you are designed to eat, whether you are supposed to eat according to seasonal things, more protein or more carbs.

Be in Season, out of SEASON. 

This means you start calling your tomorrow into today.  It means you begin to plan, research, and walk as if you are in tomorrow, today.  God says in His Word, to speak the end from the beginning.  You say, “I am healed.  Thank you, Lord, that you showed me what to eat, how to eat and what supplements to take, in order that my body has become subject to your ways, so that I have received the gift of healing.”  Declare yourself healed and never, ever, speak against it from this day forward.  Don’t say, “I can’t be healed, I haven’t even started cutting back on sugar and eating donuts.”  Say, “Praise God, I no longer crave sugar,” as you eat your donut.  Remember, do the opposite of what the world does.

In order to walk in the SEASON, we need to prepare for the SEASON.

If you haven’t done the refined sugar fast, I suggest you do that first.  It will help your body, to begin to respond to the changes gradually, instead of shocking your body, and you giving up because it is too hard.  Understand that is not about loosing weight, it is about becoming healthy and healing your body and mind.  It is about transforming your heart and body to begin to hear God’s voice and respond to it.  You may lose a few pounds during this time but focus on the long-term benefits.

Our Food. 

I am going to keep this simple and run through it fast, because I know we have speed readers and let’s get to the point people.  You have heard me time and time again, tell you to grow your own food.  Visit Victory Campaign 2024 for gardening tips, growing food inside your home during the winter, and how to preserve your food.

Buy locally.  Question the farmers how they grow their food.  If they are honest, you will know.  If you are buying an animal to butcher, ask to see that animal live.  Some farmers raise two herds, one the public will eat and one they will eat.  Interview them, like you would the owner of puppies.  You don’t just grab a puppy without gaining knowledge about the parents, health and ancestry, personality, and such.  (At least I hope you don’t.)

I want to mention a couple of products here, you need to do your own research on, and decide for yourself.  Soy products: I avoid soy as much as possible.  Soy acts like an anti-estrogen and can over play your hormone levels.  Remember, research outcomes are often based on who is funding them and how honest the researchers are, and you need to wade through them, because everything concerning food and health has strong arguments on both sides.  Erythritol, we talked about already in the Sugar Challenge, that new research has shown a low chance of blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death and cautions those with high blood pressure, coronary disease, and diabetes and men over 60, need to be careful.  Vitamins and supplements are not created equally, and some supplements because of the they way they are produced or packaged do not offer any benefit to the body.  Again, greed and lack of knowledge has created a pit of deception.  

Milk products are always under the microscope.  Pasteurized over raw, regular over organic, whole over skim.  Believe it or not, God knew what He was doing, when He created cows.  You get some people who say, man was never intended to drink animals milk, whether cows or goats.  Like God, didn’t know we wouldn’t want cream in our coffee, yoghurt, or ice cream.    It is what man has done to make it harmful to the human body.  God created milk with lots of fat in it.  When I do drink milk, which is rarely, because of the casein (protein) I drink whole milk.

Listen to your body, it will tell you what to eat and when to eat.  Athletes and many people make food very legalistic.  Athletes put pressure on their bodies, forcing them to perform at the expense of health at times.  They go to extremes.  Some people go to such extremes about a certain diet plan, that they fall under condemnation for even a slight betrayal to the plan.  Don’t be that person.  Food is a necessary thing, but you can also enjoy it.

CANDIDA DIET VS LEAKY GUT DIET

If you want to be confused, research these diets.  One doctor says yes to a food, the other says no.  While researching, I made out two lists, one for both diets, as best I could with the conflicting information on what you could eat and couldn’t eat.   As I researched, I kept reading that most times, people had both Candida and Leaky Gut and that following a Candida diet was priority, because as the candida died off, the gut would be begin healing the leaky gut.

The diets are very similar; however, the Candida diet removes more sugar options then the Leaky Gut diet.   

Vegetables:  NON-STARCHY

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Rutabaga
• Spinach
• Zucchini
• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Garlic
• Onions
• Tomatoes (Some say stay away from night shade vegetables for a time which includes tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes)
• Kale
• Asparagus

Low Sugar Fruits

• Avocado
• Lemon and Limes
• Grapefruit (white)
• Olives (again, some say yes, some say no)
• (These are on the yes, no list – but do not consume large amounts, cherries, berries, oranges, pears, apples)  If you have an extreme case wait until week two, and only rarely.

Proteins

• Anchovies
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Herring
• Wild Salmon
• Sardines
• Turkey
• Beef (some say yes, some say no)
• Pork (most say no, but a few yes)

Non-glutenous Grains

• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Oat bran
• Quinoa
• Teff
• Oats (Oats are hard to digest, you might try Overnight Oats; not fermented oats.  More below)

Dairy

• Butter
• Ghee
• Kefir
• Yoghurt (again, some yes, and some no)
• See below for alternative spread recipe

Low Mold Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds
• Coconut
• Flaxseed
• Hazelnuts
• Sunflower seeds

Store all nuts in freezer.

Healthy Fats and Oil

• Coconut Oil (virgin)
• Flaxseed oil
• Olive oil (pure virgin)
• Sesame oil
• Avocado oil

Fermented Foods (Some say yes, some say, no absolutely not; and some say after four weeks)  Fermented, not pickled.

• Kefir
• Olives
• Sauerkraut
• Yogurt (plain not sugared)

Bone Broth – important to include

Cinnamon and Turmeric, incorporate them, as well as other herbs

TEA:  green tea, ginger tea, camomile, peppermint, licorice, dandelion root or leaf, nettle, and milk thistle.

Limit all coffee, if possible, limit to one cup. 

Things not to eat!  Remember, this is about healing your body, not making you suffer forever.  When you reintroduce these foods, do it gradually so you can see how they react to your body, and you can understand which foods that you might need to fast from longer or permanently. 

SUGAR – ALL SUGAR, INCLUDING MAPLE SYRUP, HONEY, COCONUT SUGAR, AGAVE

HIGH SUGAR FRUITS – BANANAS, GRAPES, MANGOS, RAISINS

ALL DRIED FRUIT AND JUICE

ALL GLUTEN GRAINS – WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE

BEANS – THEY ARE HARDER TO DIGEST, SO WAIT TO INTRODUCE THEM AGAIN

STARCHY VEGETABLES – AGAIN THIS IS ANOTHER YES, NO CAMP.   PUMPKIN, ACORN SQUASH, SPAGETTI SQUASH, POTATOES, SWEET POTATOES

SOME SOURCES SAY, IF YOU NEED TOO, KEEP STARCHY VEGETABLES, RICE, GRAINS, AND BEANS UNDER ONE CUP PER DAY.

These foods are said to fight candida:

• Coconut oil
• Garlic
• Apple cider vinegar
• Cruciferous vegetables
• Ginger
• Olive oil
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Wild salmon
• Lemon juice

Again, this list is taken from many sources, so do what God says. 

When it comes to supplements again, they range, but a standard seems to be:

Vitamins high in vitamin ‘C’.

Probiotics

L-Glutamine

Molybdenum

Milk Thistle

You need to support your liver, as it is working overtime.  Stay away from alcohol and toxins.  Drink plenty of water and get the rest your body needs at this time.

To learn how to recognize and what it is doing to your body, visit https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRpSsVwmMjWF5COR9uMyb5wPoik00gYQz

Recipes

There are hundreds of recipes online for overnight Oatmeal, but I had to make up my own that was sugar free and candida friendly. 

I used a 500ml/pint canning jar

½ cup milk (I used coconut milk)

¼ to ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Salt

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup old-fashioned oats.

Let sit in the fridge over night, 10 to 12 hours if possible.  Stir and eat.

There are other popular flavours like banana and nut butter.  Make them sugar free and use a milk of choice.  If you have fasted from refined sugar, and by the end of week three slowly gave up all the other sugars, by now, sugar free with a fruit or nut butter will seem sweet.

Coconut Butter Bread Spread

1 ¼ cups coconut butter

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup flax oil

Melt coconut oil and let cool to room temperature.  Mix in flax oil from the fridge and salt.  Seal and keep in fridge.

Steamed Vegetables

This is the best way to eat vegetables on a candida diet.  If you don’t have a steamer, or double broiler with a steam basket, or a microwave steamer, place vegetables in a pot with a small amount of water and cook.

Bone Broth

The best bones for the best bone broth (beef or chicken bone broth) include:

• Knuckles
• Joints
• Feet
• Marrow bones
• For added flavor incorporate meaty bones like oxtail, shank, and short ribs.
• Chicken feet contain loads of gelatin and are less expensive than other gelatin-rich bones.
• The bones of younger animals contain a lot of cartilage, as it is this cartilage that will eventually turn to the bone as the animal ages. For this reason, veal bones are particularly prized for making stock.

For instructions using a slow cooker

https://draxe.com/recipes/beef-bone-broth/  (Written) (slow cooker 36 hours)

https://youtu.be/mFo9KXQ5DZs 

YouTube: BEEF BROTH RECIPE // 3-Way Comparison: Stovetop vs. Instant Pot vs. Slow Cooker (With Results!)

chicken https://youtu.be/359PAKq-Uvg

Canning: https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=chicken-stock-pressure-canning

https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=beef-stock-pressure-canning (Written)

https://youtu.be/GMg2FxPGPIQ  large batch using an electric roaster.

Canning bone broth https://youtu.be/Vo08zJsiH48

How to use canning jars in the freezer without breakage https://youtu.be/Ky4un5NRCOY

You probably make dinners already that are Candida and Leaky Gut safe or can alter the recipe slightly to accommodate to your diet.  Don’t force your family to eat this way if they do not want too.  If they want homemade macaroni and cheese, make it, and just eat the meat and vegetables.  If they want spaghetti and garlic bread, make that for them, and eat a healthy meal for yourself.  Jesus warns us that we should not be like the Pharisees when they fasted.  Be a joy to be around and enjoy the food you are eating.

I myself, love fried zucchini and spinach, with Swiss chard. 

Eat mashed cauliflower and rutabaga.

Make soup using bone broth and add vegetables and meat.

Roast chicken

Salmon loaf

Try zucchini noodles.

If you just need a sweet treat, go lightly on the Stevia and Monk Fruit.  I too love sweets, and they are out there, such as gluten free Keto cookies and bars.  Limit these, as they will cause sugar cravings.  More recipes below.

Coconut flour is sweet, and there are some recipes you can find to use it alone.  Almond flour is available at Costco, and most grocery stores. 

These flours taste different than wheat, however, you may not absolutely love them at first, but it doesn’t take long to like them.  Don’t take a bite and say never again.  Remember, what you sow, you reap.  Say, I like this, and your taste buds will follow.