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Take a seat, & relax with a cup of herbal tea. This is just shy of a short book.
We all make significant changes based on 2 things... Desperation & Inspiration. For me it was both. It began due to desperation, & continued because of inspiration.
I was tired of:
At age 7, I developed Trichotillomania, a hair pulling disorder - (I hate that word, because it implies "maniac," which isn't the case). "Trich" is in the same category as biting your nails, picking your skin, chewing your lips, etc... This just happens to be pulling hair, instead. Many people pull their head hair, but for me it was mostly lashes & brows.
You know when people get stressed & say, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to pull my hair out!"
Yeah... Those expressions are real.
It's estimated that up to 5%, and possibly up to 10% of the population struggles with this condition. You probably just aren't aware, because they hide it & often never tell anyone... I did a really good job of hiding it too, but a few people knew, & it was beyond embarrassing... When I was a young girl, I secretly wished that I had cancer, so I could use chemo as an excuse to why I had no eyelashes. Thank goodness for makeup, right?
I also struggled with insomnia so badly, that as a child I would wake up at night and cry for hours on end, because I couldn't sleep. The exhaustion was, at times, almost more than I could handle. My poor mom was so patient with me over the years, as she held & comforted me the best she knew how.
And then there was everything else (listed below), that I struggled with. As an introvert, I was really good at keeping things to myself though, acting like everything was fine. But those who knew me best, knew otherwise.
I really did have happy days! And I enjoyed life!!! But I also hated it... (That might not make sense, unless you've experienced it yourself. If you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about).
God, my family, creativity, and later in life - medications - were what kept me going... Somehow, I found the strength to continue on & have a tiny bit of faith that - in the end - everything just *might* be ok... Some day, I *might* feel good.
I love to create. So I kept myself busy with creative projects. Thankfully, God blessed me with a lot of gifts & talents, and I'm truly grateful for that... I sewed, quilted, scrap-booked, painted, created, organized, cooked, decorated, gardened, started a few of my own businesses, & did whatever I could to enjoy each day & focus on the positives.
So... What all was wrong with me?
Well, from my youth years, on up till my late 30's -- all of this:
In 2010 I had a swollen dark spot on my leg that looked like MRSA & lasted for weeks. My foot and leg swelled up like a balloon & was full of fluid. I was told it was probably a staph infection. Antibiotics helped a little, but it never went away, and a 2nd spot showed up a few days later. It stayed for months (until I made changes & began natural healing, which I'll talk about below).
I had oral surgery in elementary school due to an extra set of 2 front teeth (weird, I know!).
In high school I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed.
At age 17 I had surgery for a very large "pilonidal" cyst near my tailbone.
At age 30 I had major surgery for a 2nd intestinal obstruction that almost left me with a colostomy... (a life-long 'waste' bag).
NOTE: I have a 5" scar down the center of my belly. I'd been to the ER for this digestive disorder that got worse after the surgery that was supposed to fix the disorder. Since then I've had 17 more obstructions & have been in the ER & admitted to the hospital TEN times because of all the internal scar tissue from the first surgery. The last time (Jan 2016), I ended up with a 2nd surgery, which left me with 4 MORE belly incisions.
Why another surgery? Because over time, the first surgery caused my intestines to blow up to triple their normal size, & it also caused an adhesion band around my intestine that was so thick, it choked the intestinal opening down to the size of a PEA. So January 1st of 2016, my surgeon had no choice but to go in and "fix me."
He was also brave & humble enough, to quietly shut the door behind him, sit down by my bedside, and inform me that I should have never had that first surgery... He admitted that there were things they should have done instead, to help me pass the obstruction. Then he told me to do everything possible FIRST, to not ever come back to the hospital for another obstruction, because if he wasn't available & other surgeons do more surgeries, it would probably mess me up even more, and probably for life.
Knowing what I knew about natural health, I'd told him when I got to the ER, that I refused to eat their hospital food or take their medications (except the anti-inflammatory, only because I was too exhausted to explain to my husband which natural anti-inflammatories I needed).
The surgeon respected my wishes. He told me I would be in the hospital for up to 7 days. But because of refusing their junk hospital food & medications, he sent me home in LESS THAN 72 hours. My surgeon came in that morning & said:
"Jennifer, you know what you're doing. You're healing faster than I've ever seen, & you don't need to be here. There's nothing else we can do for you. Keep doing what you're doing, and go home. You'll be fine."
And that was the end of that.
Over the past 18 years I'd been to multiple doctors for all the health issues. After much un-successful testing & medicating, I was told they couldn't find anything wrong, & that it was "probably emotional & ALL IN MY HEAD". I was sent to multiple therapists/counselors, so I could get "help".
It didn't help.
Needless to say... It was not "all in my head". I learned later that illness & dis-ease are due to toxin exposure, nutrient deficiency, heavy metals, parasites, and emotional/energetic imbalance. Conventional therapy & medication were only a band-aid.
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I was on the following medications (that I can remember) since 1993. Needless to say... the "side effects" of all these medications were insane. These are in addition to other antibiotics, pain killers, & OTC meds I'd taken over the years:
My mom planted the seeds for healthy eating & natural living, when I was young, but we were still fairly "mainstream," so I didn't recognize the importance of it, until years down the road... In 2007, I started randomly baking my own whole-wheat bread. Then in 2008, I came across a website that was the beginning of changing my life.
I'd been researching preparedness, self-sufficient living, & food storage (What I call "food insurance"), & I found resources that taught about "healthy" prepared living... I learned more about whole grains, sprouting, cooking from scratch, beans, dehydrating, & more. I learned about helping my family become more self-reliant through good health. I learned more about simplifying, organizing, & preparedness, & how to take care of my family in times of emergency & unemployment... (which we've experienced more than once). I was hooked.
I knew this healthier & simpler lifestyle was the very beginning for me & my family.
And so... I knew it was time to change. No one else could do it for me. I needed to get to the root cause of why I had these health issues & actually heal, instead of continuing to take pharmaceutical drugs, which just covered up the symptoms & created new ones! I had to take control. I am a wife & mother with children to raise - that my Father in Heaven entrusted me with. I KNEW my body was not meant to just fall apart, for seemingly no reason. I had a life to live, and I was going to live it. I had a purpose, and He needed me to fulfill that purpose! I became determined to live my life the way God INTENDED for me to.
In 2010, I was lead to a Holistic Living Conference in Utah & eventually ended up on their advisory board. I went on to learn even more about natural health, and natural, sustainable, simple living. I knew that this path was my answer.
Because of the things I began to implement, I was finally able to overcome almost all of the health issues I'd had for so long. And my weight? I dropped from size 14+ back down to my college size 6! My (and my family's) health was better than it's ever been, and I now had a closer connection with my Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ, than ever before.
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GETTING REAL:
We had 2 cabinets full of prescription & OTC meds. We used to buy the huge 500 count of Tylenol & Ibuprofin from Costco at least once, sometimes twice a year... SCARY!
I took Zoloft & other pharma drugs for almost 18 years. I finally hit my breaking point & decided I was done. NO. MORE. Because of these medications, I lost who I was. I lost the ability to really, truly FEEL... I became numb, even to my own intuition & spirituality... Yes, medication CAN affect that. I didn't realize it though, until after I stopped being medicated.
I weaned myself down to 50 mg Zoloft over the course of 2 months. It was no longer helping me & was now making me feel worse... I had to deal all those years with the "side effects" of being on the drugs, & often times had to take more drugs to cover up the "side effects" of the original drugs... It was never ending cycle.
I learned that there are no "SIDE" effects to drugs... THERE ARE JUST EFFECTS.
Every time someone takes a drug, or has a medical procedure performed, or is injected with a vaccine - it's literally an experiment. And I did not want myself, or my family to be part of these experiments ANYMORE.
Now our cabinets are full of herbs, homeopathic medicine, plant oils, earth substances, and healing foods. We don't use pharmaceuticals anymore, unless absolutely necessary, which is almost... never. Why? Because we simply don't need to. Because we learned a simpler, more effective, & safer way to BOTH prevent & heal.
One of my favorite quotes on this very thing was stated by a great religious leader named Brigham Young:
"Would you want doctors? Yes, to set bones. We should want a good surgeon for that, or to cut off a limb. But do you want doctors? For not much of anything else, let me tell you, only the traditions of the people lead them to think so;... Now the cry is, "Send for a doctor." If you have a pain in the head, "Send for a doctor;" if your heel aches, "I want a doctor;" "my back aches, and I want a doctor." The study and practice of anatomy and surgery are very good; they are mechanical, and are frequently needed. Do you not think it is necessary to give medicine sometimes? Yes, but I would rather have a wife of mine that knows what medicine to give me when I am sick, than all the professional doctors in the world.
Now let me tell you about doctoring, because I am acquainted with it, and know just exactly what constitutes a good doctor in physic. It is that man or woman who, by revelation, or we may call it "intuitive inspiration", is capable of administering medicine to assist the human system when it is besieged by the enemy called Disease; but if they have not that manifestation, they had better let the sick person alone. I will tell you why: I can see the faces of this congregation, but I do not see two alike; and if I could look into your nervous systems and behold the operations of disease, from the crowns of your heads to the soles of your feet, I should behold the same difference that I see in your physiognomy - there would be no two precisely alike.
Doctors make experiments, and if they find a medicine that will have the desired effect on one person, they set it down that it is good for everybody, but it is not so, for upon the second person that medicine is administered to, seemingly with the same disease, it might produce death. If you do not know this, you have not had the experience that I have. I say that unless a man or woman who administers medicine to assist the human system to overcome disease, understands, and has that intuitive knowledge, by the Spirit, that such an article is good for that individual at that very time, they had better let him alone. Let the sick do without eating, take a little of something to cleanse the stomach, bowels and blood, and wait patiently, and let Nature have time to gain the advantage over the disease.
Suppose, for illustration, we draw a line through this congregation, and place those on this side where they cannot get a doctor, without it is a surgeon, for thirty or fifty years to come; and put the other side in a country full of doctors, and they think they ought to have them, and this side of the house that has no doctor will be able to buy the inheritance of those who have doctors, and overrun them, outreach them, and buy them up, and finally obliterate them, and they will be lost in the masses of those who have no doctors. I know what some say when they look at such things, but that is the fact.
Ladies and gentlemen, you may take any country in the world, I do not care where you go, and if they do not employ doctors, you will find they will beat communities that employ them, all the time. Who is the real doctor? That man who knows by the Spirit of revelation what ails an individual, and by the same Spirit knows what medicine to administer. That is the real doctor, the others are quacks." - Brigham Young
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Please don't misunderstand me. Doctors are needed! They work miracles every day. American E.R. doctors for trauma/emergency are the BEST in the world.
I've had wonderful physicians that did all they knew how to do, to help me. And that surgeon in 2016 DID help me. Thank goodness. But he helped me fix what the doctor before him screwed up (which potentially could have killed me).
Our medical system is no longer a "health-care" system... It is a disease-management system. And unfortunately it has become so political & full of agenda, that the Hippocratic oath's "First Do No Harm" pretty much no longer exists in the western/modern medical system... Neither does the Nuremberg Code.
Are you aware that iatrogenic death (medical caused death) is documented as the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.? And that the United States, despite spending more on "health" care than any other nation, is the sickest nation of all developed nations? As of today, more than 50% of children have known chronic & autoimmune disease. I venture to say, MOST of our children (and adults) have chronic health issues, they just aren't aware of it, because unhealthy has become common. What people don't understand though, is that common does not equal normal.
Also ~ statistically, the U.S. is the most dangerous place to give birth among all developed nations!
This is NOT OK.
A few years ago, I read a book called "Love, Medicine, & Miracles" by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, MD., who explained how physicians struggle with not being able to heal patients, like was done in the past... It's what they went to medical school to learn how to do, & yet most of the time, the only thing they know to do now, is to prescribe a drug, treatment, or surgery, so they can control the symptoms & ease the pains of the disease. But they don't know how to address or heal the root cause.
There's a difference between controlling a dis-ease & healing/curing a dis-ease. Too many people are becoming dependent on taking drugs to just feel better. It's easier to pop a pill, than to make lifestyle changes... I know this! I lived it! But the costs are great. And I was done with those costs.
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WHAT IF we had enough knowledge to prevent illness & heal our ailments naturally, so that we'd only have to visit a doctor & use pharmaceuticals, "in case of emergency"?
Unless it's an emergency, our family's motto is now this:
"I will no longer use any remedy - OR PREVENTATIVE - which has more side effects, than that which it remedies - or prevents."
That doesn't leave much for medical/pharmaceutical options now, does it? Like... zero.
On his death bed, Louis Pasteur finally admitted, "Bernard was right. I was wrong. The pathogen is nothing. The Terrain is everything."
After 18 years of unsuccessful healing, I took a leap of faith through promptings I'd received. And with God's help, I was able to begin REAL healing.
In Aug. 2011, my Naturopathic Doctor (ND) who was also an RN, helped me reduce the remaining Zoloft I was still on, from 50mg to 25mg, in just over ONE month. Within 12 weeks, I was down to only 12.5 mg... Within 5 months, I was DONE.
At first, I was a little afraid of no more medication. I didn't really remember life without it. And that thought was a bit un-nerving. Meds were my comfort zone. I knew them, & they at least "sort of" kept me going for a long while. I wasn't 100% sure I was ready to give them up. What would it be like? I was scared... But I was SO excited. I came further in 5 months, than I'd come my entire life!
And after all those years... I WAS FINALLY MEDICATION FREE.
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My children are sensitive to a lot of man-made chemicals & artificial ingredients (actually everyone is, they just don't realize it)... & one daughter is very allergic to several. She's even allergic to common medications, & artificial ingredients in foods, cleaners, & personal care products. Because of this, she took several medications for allergies & asthma. She ended up in an ambulance at age 7 from Anaphylactic Shock - Which was caused by the allergy testing she had done, to find out what she was allergic to!
I knew in my heart that man-made, artificial, & adulterated foods & products were not the way to go anymore. I felt strongly, that faithfully following the "Word of Wisdom" & eating naturally would give us the promised blessings of better health, & lessen the chances of future dis-ease.
The Word of Wisdom is a health code taught in my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). It focuses on eating "REAL" food like whole grains, fruits, veggies, herbs, "meat sparingly", & abstaining from harmful & all addictive substances - specified as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, & tea (Camilla Sinensis teas such as black, white, green, oolong, sweet tea, etc.)... Herbal teas are healthful drinks & excluded from the "abstain" list. I LOVE herbal tea, and we use it often for staying healthy & recovering from illness.
A good majority of members of my faith don't thoroughly follow the nutrition side of our health code. But I knew it was time for me and my family to do so... And I realized that "addictive substances" mean much more than the obvious alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, etc.
Implementing natural living allowed my daughter to stop all her medications, & the allergies she had became a fraction of what she used to experience. In that time, our family went from 11 medications down to just 1 medication for my husband, who has auto-immune issues.
Even if negative effects of toxin exposure don't show up immediately, eventually they will. And if it doesn't manifest in you, it will manifest in your offspring.
Hereditary genes are passed down, but they are quiet unless disrupted. If chaos is created in the body, then chaos is created in your genes, & "dis-ease" manifests. This topic is discussed through many resources, but it was also discussed in Scientist John A. Widstoe's book - "The Word Of Wisdom - A Modern Interpretation"... written in the 1930's, but so relevant almost 100 years later!
No way did I want to knowingly be responsible for my children & future posterity suffering with health issues, because of things that I put in or on, my body or theirs... It wasn't just about me. It was about THEM too.
There is only ONE disease. Not hundreds... not thousands... just one.
It is CHAOS at the atomic level... Which causes chaos at the molecular level... Which causes chaos at the cellular level.
There are only THREE causes of the ONE disease... They are: TOXICITY, DEFICIENCY, & IMBALANCE.
If you have a disease (dis-ease) you are:
1 - Overloaded with toxins (or parasites, or heavy metals) that have poisoned & damaged your body.
2 - Deficient in nutrients that your body needs to function properly.
3 - Imbalanced in your electrical/energy system(s), which cause disruption in your body.
More than 75% of your immune system is in your gut. And your immune system is NOT just about antibodies!! That's only one part of many immune system pieces. When the above 3 conditions are an issue, gut health is compromised, which affects every part of your health including physical, mental, emotional, and yes... even spiritual.
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For me, it became a personal revelation that the Word of Wisdom meant not only consuming real/natural foods, but also using non-toxic cleaners, personal care products, & medicines that would not have negative effects on our bodies.
As one lady who had similar experiences said: "Your body is a temple. If it doesn't fit the Lord's criteria... It shouldn't enter."
Entering mechanisms include:
(1) Your mouth/nose
(2) Your skin/private areas
(3) By injection
(4) Your mind ~ (thoughts can & do affect health)
Health doesn't come from a needle. Or pharma drugs. Or chemically laden skin & body care products. Or factory produced "food." Or modern addicting, idol-mezmerizing, & time-wasting activities that take us away from wholesome activities & the natural rhythm of life & learning.
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So for starters, what did we do... nutritionally?
* First off, we do not do diets.
* We threw out highly refined / processed / factory foods including: Junky white sugar, white salt, white flour, white rice, white pasta, and most boxed & packaged foods... especially those with artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial preservatives, MSG, GMO's (genetically modified foods, which is more than 80% of the grocery store), & long lists of ingredients that aren't pronounceable. Every rare now & then for a treat, we'll use a little organic white sugar or un-bleached organic white flour (usually combined with whole sweeteners & whole grain flour), but again... it's rare.
* I make almost everything we eat from scratch. It takes longer, & it's more work... But God told Adam & Eve they would eat by the sweat of their brow. By organizing & simplifying my life, the process has become simpler & very enjoyable. I LOVE gardening, cooking, preserving, & making remedies.
* We use non-toxic, natural/organic cleaners & personal care products whenever possible. UPDATE: In 2018 we launched our own product line of body-care products called, "Pits & Pearlies" at our online shop The Little Homestead Co.™ !
* We no longer use toxic pesticides, herbicides, & yard chemicals. We grow our food & plants naturally & organically, and we kill weeds naturally (when we aren't picking them to use in the kitchen, or as medicine!)
* We eat whole food. Real food. The way God made it... Not the way man formulates it. No more foods that are adulterated, factory produced, genetically modified, highly refined & processed, or "fortified" ~ which is synthetic vitamins that do more damage than good.
In the words of one of my favorite natural grocery stores in Utah (Redmond Heritage Farms):
If you can't gather it, pick it, milk it, or hunt it... It's probably not real food.
If it was made in a factory... It's probably not real food.
If you can't pronounce the ingredients... It's probably not real food.
* We eat WFMPB (Whole Food Mostly Plant Based)... We haven't and won't cut out all animal foods, but we have reduced our meat consumption by a good 75%. We're extremely conscious of quality & environment, and we & ask these questions on a regular basis:
* We eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, sprouts, smoothies, nuts & seeds, unrefined sweeteners, unrefined salt, etc.
We actually like foods now, that we didn't like before... We've learned to listen to our bodies & better recognize its signals. We don't have cravings like we used to. We all feel gross after eating "un-real" food.
Do you count calories, carbs, protein, sodium, sugar, fats, etc?
We don't!
And neither has society throughout ALL of history, until the modernized food & product industry took over & messed us all up.
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I spend more money these days on good foods & natural products that will not harm us. In the long run, it is much cheaper than medical bills & the misery of ill health.
We are healthier. We feel better. We have more energy. We don't get sick as often as we used to. And... we don't have to go to doctors anymore.
With the exception of (1) my bowel obstruction surgery (2) my husband's table saw accident {don't ask} in 2016, (3) physical therapy for my daughter's knees, and (4) surgery for my son to fix a defect that was caused by an unnecessary & risky medical procedure as an infant, we have not been to a doctor in over a decade.
My very last visit to the doctor for strep throat, resulted in throwing away failed medication that actually made me sicker. That nasty strep was GONE in less than 3 days, using natural remedies instead... I've healed a few cavities myself too. I've only been to a dentist twice in almost 30 years, & my children have been to the dentist very few times. Nutrition & products we use affect dental health as well... Also, it's important to research the deceptive industry of root canals & other invasive dental procedures. Did you
Although we don't get sick as often anymore, we've also healed COVID, flu, colds, strep, bronchitis, sinus infections, molluscum contagiosum (something doctors don't have a cure for), yeast infections, ring worm, bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea, injuries, & dog parvo - naturally.
Natural health is empowering!
This address, "Made Holy In The Body", was given to a college audience at BYU-Idaho a few years ago, & it taught me a lot about myself, my body, & my spirit. It helped me realize even more, why I need to honor the body I was given, & teach my children to do the same.
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Many people have asked me for help over the years. So after a lot of blogging in the beginning, I eventually wrote my book, Real Food Pantry Makeover™ that became a best seller in 2015, & I created its companion online course. (I'm hoping to revise & update both the book & course by 2024. Cross your fingers for me!)
Later, I ventured into Mind-Body Therapy & the Healing Arts, and eventually created The School of Innergy™, which is an online course for healing at the emotional/electrical/energetic level.
I've worked with clients & students from around the world, in both group & private settings, which has been an incredible experience. In addition, as I mentioned above, we also launched our shop - Pits & Pearlies ~ (The Little Homestead Co.) in Sept., 2018... I decided, that if I was going to have a job in addition to being a mom, I would do what I love & am passionate about:
Serving families back to health. In short:
If you're tired of feeling the way you do... Tired of no energy, tired of feeling sick, tired of being fat, tired of the drugs, tired of wishing you had the kind of body & life you keep wishing you had... I can help you.
Even if you have autoimmune issues (like Type 1 or 1.5 diabetes) that are not believed to be completely curable, you CAN live a healthy life & feel better than you've ever felt. You'll probably be extending your life!
Some people learn & do things on their own. But unfortunately most people won't do it on their own. They don't have the know-how, motivation, or support. They often say all day long, that they'll do it at some point, just like I did:
Maybe some day.
Right now just isn't a good time.
I don't have the money.
I have don't have energy.
There's just too much going on.
But the truth is, no time is going to be the ideal time, AND right now is the exact right time.
People are falling apart. Health is going down the tubes. Adults are suffering, & kids are suffering. Society is sicker than it's ever been... There IS NO better time. And time is running out. If you don't do something now, you probably never will.
If you're finally ready for that help, please take a look at what we have to offer. I've made everything very affordable, and it will help you get to the truth of what's really going on, find out why you're struggling, & learn what you can do about it... And if you're here while updates are being made & aren't sure where to start, please reach out to me at: [email protected] or [email protected]
Whatever you do though, please don't put your health on the back-burner... I did, and I got nowhere except worse. Remember, this is not only affecting you. It's also affecting your children and your grand-children. The health of parents at conception directly impacts the health of the unborn baby... And your children are learning from you.
You have the opportunity to turn everything around for ~ g.e.n.e.r.a.t.i.o.n.s. ~to come.
I would say, THE END. But I can't. I'm still learning & experiencing, and this is just the beginning... It can be for you as well.
Thank you for reading this whole. entire. thing.
- Jennifer
I was tired of:
- Not knowing what was wrong with me
- Doctors not knowing what was wrong with me
- Being given endless prescription drugs that didn't work & over time - made me worse.
- Thinking I was going to live the rest of my life as a miserable person but not wanting others to know... so I did my best to hide it & be as "happy" as I could... I simply smiled & tried to act "normal". But inside, I was depressed, I had very low self esteem, I was fat & didn't have much energy, and I felt like crap all the time.
At age 7, I developed Trichotillomania, a hair pulling disorder - (I hate that word, because it implies "maniac," which isn't the case). "Trich" is in the same category as biting your nails, picking your skin, chewing your lips, etc... This just happens to be pulling hair, instead. Many people pull their head hair, but for me it was mostly lashes & brows.
You know when people get stressed & say, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to pull my hair out!"
Yeah... Those expressions are real.
It's estimated that up to 5%, and possibly up to 10% of the population struggles with this condition. You probably just aren't aware, because they hide it & often never tell anyone... I did a really good job of hiding it too, but a few people knew, & it was beyond embarrassing... When I was a young girl, I secretly wished that I had cancer, so I could use chemo as an excuse to why I had no eyelashes. Thank goodness for makeup, right?
I also struggled with insomnia so badly, that as a child I would wake up at night and cry for hours on end, because I couldn't sleep. The exhaustion was, at times, almost more than I could handle. My poor mom was so patient with me over the years, as she held & comforted me the best she knew how.
And then there was everything else (listed below), that I struggled with. As an introvert, I was really good at keeping things to myself though, acting like everything was fine. But those who knew me best, knew otherwise.
I really did have happy days! And I enjoyed life!!! But I also hated it... (That might not make sense, unless you've experienced it yourself. If you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about).
God, my family, creativity, and later in life - medications - were what kept me going... Somehow, I found the strength to continue on & have a tiny bit of faith that - in the end - everything just *might* be ok... Some day, I *might* feel good.
I love to create. So I kept myself busy with creative projects. Thankfully, God blessed me with a lot of gifts & talents, and I'm truly grateful for that... I sewed, quilted, scrap-booked, painted, created, organized, cooked, decorated, gardened, started a few of my own businesses, & did whatever I could to enjoy each day & focus on the positives.
So... What all was wrong with me?
Well, from my youth years, on up till my late 30's -- all of this:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- PTSD - (post traumatic stress disorder)
- Chronic constipation & nearly 20 Bowel Obstructions -- (surgery for 2 of them ~ more on that below)
- OCD & Trichotillomania
- Insomnia
- 50 lb weight gain after my 3rd baby
- Chronic exhaustion & adrenal fatigue
- Random dizziness
- Occasional heart palpitations
- Horrible headaches for 2 years
- Ear infections
- Eczema
- Allergies & mild asthma
- Fibroid/ovarian, ganglion, & pilonidal cysts
- Irregular & heavy monthly cycles (sometimes for 8+ days)
- PMS leaving me non-functional on the couch for 1-2 days
- Severe daily acid reflux
- Restless leg syndrome
- Low thyroid
- Joint pain
- Brain chatter
- Brain fog & concentration problems
- And I ended up with pretty much any & every 'normal' illness (cold, flu, strep, etc.), that came my way.
In 2010 I had a swollen dark spot on my leg that looked like MRSA & lasted for weeks. My foot and leg swelled up like a balloon & was full of fluid. I was told it was probably a staph infection. Antibiotics helped a little, but it never went away, and a 2nd spot showed up a few days later. It stayed for months (until I made changes & began natural healing, which I'll talk about below).
I had oral surgery in elementary school due to an extra set of 2 front teeth (weird, I know!).
In high school I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed.
At age 17 I had surgery for a very large "pilonidal" cyst near my tailbone.
At age 30 I had major surgery for a 2nd intestinal obstruction that almost left me with a colostomy... (a life-long 'waste' bag).
NOTE: I have a 5" scar down the center of my belly. I'd been to the ER for this digestive disorder that got worse after the surgery that was supposed to fix the disorder. Since then I've had 17 more obstructions & have been in the ER & admitted to the hospital TEN times because of all the internal scar tissue from the first surgery. The last time (Jan 2016), I ended up with a 2nd surgery, which left me with 4 MORE belly incisions.
Why another surgery? Because over time, the first surgery caused my intestines to blow up to triple their normal size, & it also caused an adhesion band around my intestine that was so thick, it choked the intestinal opening down to the size of a PEA. So January 1st of 2016, my surgeon had no choice but to go in and "fix me."
He was also brave & humble enough, to quietly shut the door behind him, sit down by my bedside, and inform me that I should have never had that first surgery... He admitted that there were things they should have done instead, to help me pass the obstruction. Then he told me to do everything possible FIRST, to not ever come back to the hospital for another obstruction, because if he wasn't available & other surgeons do more surgeries, it would probably mess me up even more, and probably for life.
Knowing what I knew about natural health, I'd told him when I got to the ER, that I refused to eat their hospital food or take their medications (except the anti-inflammatory, only because I was too exhausted to explain to my husband which natural anti-inflammatories I needed).
The surgeon respected my wishes. He told me I would be in the hospital for up to 7 days. But because of refusing their junk hospital food & medications, he sent me home in LESS THAN 72 hours. My surgeon came in that morning & said:
"Jennifer, you know what you're doing. You're healing faster than I've ever seen, & you don't need to be here. There's nothing else we can do for you. Keep doing what you're doing, and go home. You'll be fine."
And that was the end of that.
Over the past 18 years I'd been to multiple doctors for all the health issues. After much un-successful testing & medicating, I was told they couldn't find anything wrong, & that it was "probably emotional & ALL IN MY HEAD". I was sent to multiple therapists/counselors, so I could get "help".
It didn't help.
Needless to say... It was not "all in my head". I learned later that illness & dis-ease are due to toxin exposure, nutrient deficiency, heavy metals, parasites, and emotional/energetic imbalance. Conventional therapy & medication were only a band-aid.
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I was on the following medications (that I can remember) since 1993. Needless to say... the "side effects" of all these medications were insane. These are in addition to other antibiotics, pain killers, & OTC meds I'd taken over the years:
- Xyprexa (an anti-psychotic!)
- Wellbutrin (depression)
- Abilify (depression - made my insides literally shake. WORST. STUFF. EVER.)
- Prozac (depression - made the depression worse)
- Paxil (depression - left me with debilitating headaches)
- Zoloft (depression / PTSD - masked symptoms initially, but eventually made them worse)
- Ambien (insomnia & anxiety)
- Zanax (anxiety)
- Valium (anxiety)
- Levothyroxine (thyroid)
- Zyrtec (allergies)
- Claritin (allergies)
- Flovent (athsma)
- Ranitidine (acid reflux)
- Famotidine (acid reflux)
- Omeprazole (acid reflux)
- Iansoprazole (acid reflux)
- 5 different Birth Control Pills (Not only for birth control, but for other "problems" too. The hormones & ingredients in these pills half ruined my body.)
My mom planted the seeds for healthy eating & natural living, when I was young, but we were still fairly "mainstream," so I didn't recognize the importance of it, until years down the road... In 2007, I started randomly baking my own whole-wheat bread. Then in 2008, I came across a website that was the beginning of changing my life.
I'd been researching preparedness, self-sufficient living, & food storage (What I call "food insurance"), & I found resources that taught about "healthy" prepared living... I learned more about whole grains, sprouting, cooking from scratch, beans, dehydrating, & more. I learned about helping my family become more self-reliant through good health. I learned more about simplifying, organizing, & preparedness, & how to take care of my family in times of emergency & unemployment... (which we've experienced more than once). I was hooked.
I knew this healthier & simpler lifestyle was the very beginning for me & my family.
And so... I knew it was time to change. No one else could do it for me. I needed to get to the root cause of why I had these health issues & actually heal, instead of continuing to take pharmaceutical drugs, which just covered up the symptoms & created new ones! I had to take control. I am a wife & mother with children to raise - that my Father in Heaven entrusted me with. I KNEW my body was not meant to just fall apart, for seemingly no reason. I had a life to live, and I was going to live it. I had a purpose, and He needed me to fulfill that purpose! I became determined to live my life the way God INTENDED for me to.
In 2010, I was lead to a Holistic Living Conference in Utah & eventually ended up on their advisory board. I went on to learn even more about natural health, and natural, sustainable, simple living. I knew that this path was my answer.
Because of the things I began to implement, I was finally able to overcome almost all of the health issues I'd had for so long. And my weight? I dropped from size 14+ back down to my college size 6! My (and my family's) health was better than it's ever been, and I now had a closer connection with my Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ, than ever before.
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GETTING REAL:
We had 2 cabinets full of prescription & OTC meds. We used to buy the huge 500 count of Tylenol & Ibuprofin from Costco at least once, sometimes twice a year... SCARY!
I took Zoloft & other pharma drugs for almost 18 years. I finally hit my breaking point & decided I was done. NO. MORE. Because of these medications, I lost who I was. I lost the ability to really, truly FEEL... I became numb, even to my own intuition & spirituality... Yes, medication CAN affect that. I didn't realize it though, until after I stopped being medicated.
I weaned myself down to 50 mg Zoloft over the course of 2 months. It was no longer helping me & was now making me feel worse... I had to deal all those years with the "side effects" of being on the drugs, & often times had to take more drugs to cover up the "side effects" of the original drugs... It was never ending cycle.
I learned that there are no "SIDE" effects to drugs... THERE ARE JUST EFFECTS.
Every time someone takes a drug, or has a medical procedure performed, or is injected with a vaccine - it's literally an experiment. And I did not want myself, or my family to be part of these experiments ANYMORE.
Now our cabinets are full of herbs, homeopathic medicine, plant oils, earth substances, and healing foods. We don't use pharmaceuticals anymore, unless absolutely necessary, which is almost... never. Why? Because we simply don't need to. Because we learned a simpler, more effective, & safer way to BOTH prevent & heal.
One of my favorite quotes on this very thing was stated by a great religious leader named Brigham Young:
"Would you want doctors? Yes, to set bones. We should want a good surgeon for that, or to cut off a limb. But do you want doctors? For not much of anything else, let me tell you, only the traditions of the people lead them to think so;... Now the cry is, "Send for a doctor." If you have a pain in the head, "Send for a doctor;" if your heel aches, "I want a doctor;" "my back aches, and I want a doctor." The study and practice of anatomy and surgery are very good; they are mechanical, and are frequently needed. Do you not think it is necessary to give medicine sometimes? Yes, but I would rather have a wife of mine that knows what medicine to give me when I am sick, than all the professional doctors in the world.
Now let me tell you about doctoring, because I am acquainted with it, and know just exactly what constitutes a good doctor in physic. It is that man or woman who, by revelation, or we may call it "intuitive inspiration", is capable of administering medicine to assist the human system when it is besieged by the enemy called Disease; but if they have not that manifestation, they had better let the sick person alone. I will tell you why: I can see the faces of this congregation, but I do not see two alike; and if I could look into your nervous systems and behold the operations of disease, from the crowns of your heads to the soles of your feet, I should behold the same difference that I see in your physiognomy - there would be no two precisely alike.
Doctors make experiments, and if they find a medicine that will have the desired effect on one person, they set it down that it is good for everybody, but it is not so, for upon the second person that medicine is administered to, seemingly with the same disease, it might produce death. If you do not know this, you have not had the experience that I have. I say that unless a man or woman who administers medicine to assist the human system to overcome disease, understands, and has that intuitive knowledge, by the Spirit, that such an article is good for that individual at that very time, they had better let him alone. Let the sick do without eating, take a little of something to cleanse the stomach, bowels and blood, and wait patiently, and let Nature have time to gain the advantage over the disease.
Suppose, for illustration, we draw a line through this congregation, and place those on this side where they cannot get a doctor, without it is a surgeon, for thirty or fifty years to come; and put the other side in a country full of doctors, and they think they ought to have them, and this side of the house that has no doctor will be able to buy the inheritance of those who have doctors, and overrun them, outreach them, and buy them up, and finally obliterate them, and they will be lost in the masses of those who have no doctors. I know what some say when they look at such things, but that is the fact.
Ladies and gentlemen, you may take any country in the world, I do not care where you go, and if they do not employ doctors, you will find they will beat communities that employ them, all the time. Who is the real doctor? That man who knows by the Spirit of revelation what ails an individual, and by the same Spirit knows what medicine to administer. That is the real doctor, the others are quacks." - Brigham Young
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Please don't misunderstand me. Doctors are needed! They work miracles every day. American E.R. doctors for trauma/emergency are the BEST in the world.
I've had wonderful physicians that did all they knew how to do, to help me. And that surgeon in 2016 DID help me. Thank goodness. But he helped me fix what the doctor before him screwed up (which potentially could have killed me).
Our medical system is no longer a "health-care" system... It is a disease-management system. And unfortunately it has become so political & full of agenda, that the Hippocratic oath's "First Do No Harm" pretty much no longer exists in the western/modern medical system... Neither does the Nuremberg Code.
Are you aware that iatrogenic death (medical caused death) is documented as the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.? And that the United States, despite spending more on "health" care than any other nation, is the sickest nation of all developed nations? As of today, more than 50% of children have known chronic & autoimmune disease. I venture to say, MOST of our children (and adults) have chronic health issues, they just aren't aware of it, because unhealthy has become common. What people don't understand though, is that common does not equal normal.
Also ~ statistically, the U.S. is the most dangerous place to give birth among all developed nations!
This is NOT OK.
A few years ago, I read a book called "Love, Medicine, & Miracles" by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, MD., who explained how physicians struggle with not being able to heal patients, like was done in the past... It's what they went to medical school to learn how to do, & yet most of the time, the only thing they know to do now, is to prescribe a drug, treatment, or surgery, so they can control the symptoms & ease the pains of the disease. But they don't know how to address or heal the root cause.
There's a difference between controlling a dis-ease & healing/curing a dis-ease. Too many people are becoming dependent on taking drugs to just feel better. It's easier to pop a pill, than to make lifestyle changes... I know this! I lived it! But the costs are great. And I was done with those costs.
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WHAT IF we had enough knowledge to prevent illness & heal our ailments naturally, so that we'd only have to visit a doctor & use pharmaceuticals, "in case of emergency"?
Unless it's an emergency, our family's motto is now this:
"I will no longer use any remedy - OR PREVENTATIVE - which has more side effects, than that which it remedies - or prevents."
That doesn't leave much for medical/pharmaceutical options now, does it? Like... zero.
On his death bed, Louis Pasteur finally admitted, "Bernard was right. I was wrong. The pathogen is nothing. The Terrain is everything."
After 18 years of unsuccessful healing, I took a leap of faith through promptings I'd received. And with God's help, I was able to begin REAL healing.
In Aug. 2011, my Naturopathic Doctor (ND) who was also an RN, helped me reduce the remaining Zoloft I was still on, from 50mg to 25mg, in just over ONE month. Within 12 weeks, I was down to only 12.5 mg... Within 5 months, I was DONE.
At first, I was a little afraid of no more medication. I didn't really remember life without it. And that thought was a bit un-nerving. Meds were my comfort zone. I knew them, & they at least "sort of" kept me going for a long while. I wasn't 100% sure I was ready to give them up. What would it be like? I was scared... But I was SO excited. I came further in 5 months, than I'd come my entire life!
And after all those years... I WAS FINALLY MEDICATION FREE.
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My children are sensitive to a lot of man-made chemicals & artificial ingredients (actually everyone is, they just don't realize it)... & one daughter is very allergic to several. She's even allergic to common medications, & artificial ingredients in foods, cleaners, & personal care products. Because of this, she took several medications for allergies & asthma. She ended up in an ambulance at age 7 from Anaphylactic Shock - Which was caused by the allergy testing she had done, to find out what she was allergic to!
I knew in my heart that man-made, artificial, & adulterated foods & products were not the way to go anymore. I felt strongly, that faithfully following the "Word of Wisdom" & eating naturally would give us the promised blessings of better health, & lessen the chances of future dis-ease.
The Word of Wisdom is a health code taught in my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). It focuses on eating "REAL" food like whole grains, fruits, veggies, herbs, "meat sparingly", & abstaining from harmful & all addictive substances - specified as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, & tea (Camilla Sinensis teas such as black, white, green, oolong, sweet tea, etc.)... Herbal teas are healthful drinks & excluded from the "abstain" list. I LOVE herbal tea, and we use it often for staying healthy & recovering from illness.
A good majority of members of my faith don't thoroughly follow the nutrition side of our health code. But I knew it was time for me and my family to do so... And I realized that "addictive substances" mean much more than the obvious alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, etc.
Implementing natural living allowed my daughter to stop all her medications, & the allergies she had became a fraction of what she used to experience. In that time, our family went from 11 medications down to just 1 medication for my husband, who has auto-immune issues.
Even if negative effects of toxin exposure don't show up immediately, eventually they will. And if it doesn't manifest in you, it will manifest in your offspring.
Hereditary genes are passed down, but they are quiet unless disrupted. If chaos is created in the body, then chaos is created in your genes, & "dis-ease" manifests. This topic is discussed through many resources, but it was also discussed in Scientist John A. Widstoe's book - "The Word Of Wisdom - A Modern Interpretation"... written in the 1930's, but so relevant almost 100 years later!
No way did I want to knowingly be responsible for my children & future posterity suffering with health issues, because of things that I put in or on, my body or theirs... It wasn't just about me. It was about THEM too.
There is only ONE disease. Not hundreds... not thousands... just one.
It is CHAOS at the atomic level... Which causes chaos at the molecular level... Which causes chaos at the cellular level.
There are only THREE causes of the ONE disease... They are: TOXICITY, DEFICIENCY, & IMBALANCE.
If you have a disease (dis-ease) you are:
1 - Overloaded with toxins (or parasites, or heavy metals) that have poisoned & damaged your body.
2 - Deficient in nutrients that your body needs to function properly.
3 - Imbalanced in your electrical/energy system(s), which cause disruption in your body.
More than 75% of your immune system is in your gut. And your immune system is NOT just about antibodies!! That's only one part of many immune system pieces. When the above 3 conditions are an issue, gut health is compromised, which affects every part of your health including physical, mental, emotional, and yes... even spiritual.
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For me, it became a personal revelation that the Word of Wisdom meant not only consuming real/natural foods, but also using non-toxic cleaners, personal care products, & medicines that would not have negative effects on our bodies.
As one lady who had similar experiences said: "Your body is a temple. If it doesn't fit the Lord's criteria... It shouldn't enter."
Entering mechanisms include:
(1) Your mouth/nose
(2) Your skin/private areas
(3) By injection
(4) Your mind ~ (thoughts can & do affect health)
Health doesn't come from a needle. Or pharma drugs. Or chemically laden skin & body care products. Or factory produced "food." Or modern addicting, idol-mezmerizing, & time-wasting activities that take us away from wholesome activities & the natural rhythm of life & learning.
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So for starters, what did we do... nutritionally?
* First off, we do not do diets.
* We threw out highly refined / processed / factory foods including: Junky white sugar, white salt, white flour, white rice, white pasta, and most boxed & packaged foods... especially those with artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial preservatives, MSG, GMO's (genetically modified foods, which is more than 80% of the grocery store), & long lists of ingredients that aren't pronounceable. Every rare now & then for a treat, we'll use a little organic white sugar or un-bleached organic white flour (usually combined with whole sweeteners & whole grain flour), but again... it's rare.
* I make almost everything we eat from scratch. It takes longer, & it's more work... But God told Adam & Eve they would eat by the sweat of their brow. By organizing & simplifying my life, the process has become simpler & very enjoyable. I LOVE gardening, cooking, preserving, & making remedies.
* We use non-toxic, natural/organic cleaners & personal care products whenever possible. UPDATE: In 2018 we launched our own product line of body-care products called, "Pits & Pearlies" at our online shop The Little Homestead Co.™ !
* We no longer use toxic pesticides, herbicides, & yard chemicals. We grow our food & plants naturally & organically, and we kill weeds naturally (when we aren't picking them to use in the kitchen, or as medicine!)
* We eat whole food. Real food. The way God made it... Not the way man formulates it. No more foods that are adulterated, factory produced, genetically modified, highly refined & processed, or "fortified" ~ which is synthetic vitamins that do more damage than good.
In the words of one of my favorite natural grocery stores in Utah (Redmond Heritage Farms):
If you can't gather it, pick it, milk it, or hunt it... It's probably not real food.
If it was made in a factory... It's probably not real food.
If you can't pronounce the ingredients... It's probably not real food.
* We eat WFMPB (Whole Food Mostly Plant Based)... We haven't and won't cut out all animal foods, but we have reduced our meat consumption by a good 75%. We're extremely conscious of quality & environment, and we & ask these questions on a regular basis:
- Are the animals treated humanely?
- Are the animal-based foods highly processed?
- Are the milk & milk based foods pasteurized or... even worse, homogenized? ~ (YUCK)
- Are the animals given antibiotics & vaccinations? ~ (YUCK)
- Are the animals fed GMO's? ~ (YUCK)
- Were the animals happily pasture raised in their natural environment, organically grass or grain fed, & un-confined?
* We eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, sprouts, smoothies, nuts & seeds, unrefined sweeteners, unrefined salt, etc.
We actually like foods now, that we didn't like before... We've learned to listen to our bodies & better recognize its signals. We don't have cravings like we used to. We all feel gross after eating "un-real" food.
Do you count calories, carbs, protein, sodium, sugar, fats, etc?
We don't!
And neither has society throughout ALL of history, until the modernized food & product industry took over & messed us all up.
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I spend more money these days on good foods & natural products that will not harm us. In the long run, it is much cheaper than medical bills & the misery of ill health.
We are healthier. We feel better. We have more energy. We don't get sick as often as we used to. And... we don't have to go to doctors anymore.
With the exception of (1) my bowel obstruction surgery (2) my husband's table saw accident {don't ask} in 2016, (3) physical therapy for my daughter's knees, and (4) surgery for my son to fix a defect that was caused by an unnecessary & risky medical procedure as an infant, we have not been to a doctor in over a decade.
My very last visit to the doctor for strep throat, resulted in throwing away failed medication that actually made me sicker. That nasty strep was GONE in less than 3 days, using natural remedies instead... I've healed a few cavities myself too. I've only been to a dentist twice in almost 30 years, & my children have been to the dentist very few times. Nutrition & products we use affect dental health as well... Also, it's important to research the deceptive industry of root canals & other invasive dental procedures. Did you
Although we don't get sick as often anymore, we've also healed COVID, flu, colds, strep, bronchitis, sinus infections, molluscum contagiosum (something doctors don't have a cure for), yeast infections, ring worm, bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea, injuries, & dog parvo - naturally.
Natural health is empowering!
This address, "Made Holy In The Body", was given to a college audience at BYU-Idaho a few years ago, & it taught me a lot about myself, my body, & my spirit. It helped me realize even more, why I need to honor the body I was given, & teach my children to do the same.
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Many people have asked me for help over the years. So after a lot of blogging in the beginning, I eventually wrote my book, Real Food Pantry Makeover™ that became a best seller in 2015, & I created its companion online course. (I'm hoping to revise & update both the book & course by 2024. Cross your fingers for me!)
Later, I ventured into Mind-Body Therapy & the Healing Arts, and eventually created The School of Innergy™, which is an online course for healing at the emotional/electrical/energetic level.
I've worked with clients & students from around the world, in both group & private settings, which has been an incredible experience. In addition, as I mentioned above, we also launched our shop - Pits & Pearlies ~ (The Little Homestead Co.) in Sept., 2018... I decided, that if I was going to have a job in addition to being a mom, I would do what I love & am passionate about:
Serving families back to health. In short:
- I help individuals simplify & learn how to un-toxify their bodies & homes.
- I help families separate themselves from this modern mainstream disaster, and return to living naturally.
- I help families learn how to work with their doctors & health care providers - to integrate the best of modern medicine for trauma & emergencies, with natural health for true prevention & healing.
- I help families become self-sufficient with healthy food storage & natural preparedness, so they no longer have to rely on industries & government to "protect & provide" for them.
- I help parents & grandparents learn how to leave a legacy of home-centered health & happiness for their children & grandchildren.
If you're tired of feeling the way you do... Tired of no energy, tired of feeling sick, tired of being fat, tired of the drugs, tired of wishing you had the kind of body & life you keep wishing you had... I can help you.
Even if you have autoimmune issues (like Type 1 or 1.5 diabetes) that are not believed to be completely curable, you CAN live a healthy life & feel better than you've ever felt. You'll probably be extending your life!
Some people learn & do things on their own. But unfortunately most people won't do it on their own. They don't have the know-how, motivation, or support. They often say all day long, that they'll do it at some point, just like I did:
Maybe some day.
Right now just isn't a good time.
I don't have the money.
I have don't have energy.
There's just too much going on.
But the truth is, no time is going to be the ideal time, AND right now is the exact right time.
People are falling apart. Health is going down the tubes. Adults are suffering, & kids are suffering. Society is sicker than it's ever been... There IS NO better time. And time is running out. If you don't do something now, you probably never will.
If you're finally ready for that help, please take a look at what we have to offer. I've made everything very affordable, and it will help you get to the truth of what's really going on, find out why you're struggling, & learn what you can do about it... And if you're here while updates are being made & aren't sure where to start, please reach out to me at: [email protected] or [email protected]
Whatever you do though, please don't put your health on the back-burner... I did, and I got nowhere except worse. Remember, this is not only affecting you. It's also affecting your children and your grand-children. The health of parents at conception directly impacts the health of the unborn baby... And your children are learning from you.
You have the opportunity to turn everything around for ~ g.e.n.e.r.a.t.i.o.n.s. ~to come.
I would say, THE END. But I can't. I'm still learning & experiencing, and this is just the beginning... It can be for you as well.
Thank you for reading this whole. entire. thing.
- Jennifer
